I've been covering high school sports for over 35 years and I don't think I have seen a finish to an athletic event like I saw Friday night. In the football season opener between the Grand Prairie High, my alma mater, and Lewisville ended in a bizarre way.
Grand Prairie pulled out a wild wild 42-41 decision, scoring with no time left on the clock and then kicking the extra point. It was maybe the wildest ending to a football game I've seen.
Wait, make that second wildest finish. The 1997 playoff football game between South Grand Prairie and Arlington Lamar at SMU's Ownby Stadium was THE most dramatic ending I've seen. So make this the second one.
After blowing a 35-14 lead with nine minutes left and falling behind 41-35 with 56 seconds left the Gophers were seemingly on their way to begin 2010 with an 0-1 record. But what happened over those next 56 seconds were incredible.
Down to 12 seconds Grand Prairie quarterback Tommy Alvarez threw about a 20-yard pass over the middle to Devante Lacy. Lacy made a spectacular catch to begin with, juked a couple of tacklers and started racing towards the end zone. With the clock winding down everyone in the press box thought he would go out of bounds.
Nope he decides to juke one more tackler but is wrestled to the ground at the 6. The Gophers were desperately calling timeout but the clock showed 0:00. Lewisville players, coaches and fans are celebrating as if they had just won a state championship. The team and coaches were dancing and running around all over the field.
But the referees signalled everyone off the field, gathered at the 6 for a little conference and ruled there should be 0.3 seconds left when the Gophers, who had one timeout left, called time. The back official on the play signalled timeout when Lacy was tackled and even though the clock read 0:00, the official in the back of the end zone said there were still 3-tenths of a second left.
So with one last chance, Alvarez teamed with Lacy again in the back corner of the end zone for the touchdown and Alex Rostro kicked the deciding point.
Incredible night at the Gopher Bowl.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Don't mess with a train
I was stunned Sunday to find out a 17-year old high school basketball player had been killed by a train in Duncan, Okla., Saturday evening. I knew this young man’s father when he played basketball at South Grand Prairie High School here in Grand Prairie 20-plus years ago and would visit with him some when his son was a freshman point guard for his dad’s alma mater back in 2007 before transferring.
Deion Jackson-Houston was a standout at Duncanville High School with a bright future in the sport. Numerous Division I schools were interested in him but Saturday’s accident should give us all a reality check.
First reports say Houston was a driving a car hit by a Union Pacific train and was dragged several hundred feet before being released. The train struck the back passenger’s door and Houston died from internal injuries.
The accident happened at an unprotected crossing in Duncan meaning there were no crossing gates or red flashing lights. Engineers in the cab of the lead locomotive said Houston drove right in front of them and there was nothing they could do.
This is a tragedy. Forget basketball right now and just think that a young man’s life was taken way too soon. I cannot imagine what his father, Stacy Houston, or his mother Reshonda Jackson-Houston, are going through or the rest of the family.
And I cannot imagine what the train crew is going through either. Remember, the Houston family is not the only one suffering through this.
At the same time maybe this will be a lesson to Deion’s family and friends – don’t mess with a train. Being an avid rail fan and photographing trains I’ve seen a few near misses of cars trying to beat a train. I’ve also seen – not witnessed – a couple of car-train accidents where emergency crews are literally picking up body parts. Trust me it is NOT a pretty site.
People please remember the Stop, Look and Listen slogan when approaching a railroad crossing especially in rural areas or smaller towns where there are not protected gates or red flashing signals. Trains cannot, and I repeat CANNOT stop immediately.
Depending on the tonnage and how fast the train is moving it could take up to a half-mile, maybe longer before the train can come to a complete halt. And a lot of times the cars are crushed like soda cans.
I do not know what Deion was thinking whether he was trying to beat the train or just wasn’t paying attention. Maybe his music was too loud and didn’t hear the train blowing its horn.
Who knows? I’m sad for Deion and sad for Stacy and the rest of his family and friends. I also feel for the train crew too. This is a tragic accident.
Deion Jackson-Houston was a standout at Duncanville High School with a bright future in the sport. Numerous Division I schools were interested in him but Saturday’s accident should give us all a reality check.
First reports say Houston was a driving a car hit by a Union Pacific train and was dragged several hundred feet before being released. The train struck the back passenger’s door and Houston died from internal injuries.
The accident happened at an unprotected crossing in Duncan meaning there were no crossing gates or red flashing lights. Engineers in the cab of the lead locomotive said Houston drove right in front of them and there was nothing they could do.
This is a tragedy. Forget basketball right now and just think that a young man’s life was taken way too soon. I cannot imagine what his father, Stacy Houston, or his mother Reshonda Jackson-Houston, are going through or the rest of the family.
And I cannot imagine what the train crew is going through either. Remember, the Houston family is not the only one suffering through this.
At the same time maybe this will be a lesson to Deion’s family and friends – don’t mess with a train. Being an avid rail fan and photographing trains I’ve seen a few near misses of cars trying to beat a train. I’ve also seen – not witnessed – a couple of car-train accidents where emergency crews are literally picking up body parts. Trust me it is NOT a pretty site.
People please remember the Stop, Look and Listen slogan when approaching a railroad crossing especially in rural areas or smaller towns where there are not protected gates or red flashing signals. Trains cannot, and I repeat CANNOT stop immediately.
Depending on the tonnage and how fast the train is moving it could take up to a half-mile, maybe longer before the train can come to a complete halt. And a lot of times the cars are crushed like soda cans.
I do not know what Deion was thinking whether he was trying to beat the train or just wasn’t paying attention. Maybe his music was too loud and didn’t hear the train blowing its horn.
Who knows? I’m sad for Deion and sad for Stacy and the rest of his family and friends. I also feel for the train crew too. This is a tragic accident.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Miss you Dad
In just over a month – July 28 at 5:40 p.m. to be exact – it will be 10 years since Bill Goffinet passed away. Hard to believe it’s been 120 months.
I miss my dad – think about him constantly and wonder if he’s playing golf every day in heaven with my uncle and other friends. Or if he’s relaxing with Mom since she joined him almost a year ago.
Because it’s Father’s Day I would like to say a few things about my dad. I won’t drag this out because I could write a book.
First, he was a good man. He wasn’t perfect and he never tried to be but he was a good man. Good husband, good father, good Granddaddy Bill and just plain good.
He was one of the best architects in Grand Prairie. He was active in the Grand Prairie Host Lions Club and once served as its president. He was a one-time deacon at Turnpike Church of Christ and always and I mean always, attended everything my sister Gwen and I were involved in.
He loved life and being an architect. Most important he loved us, his family. He stood by us regardless the situation whether good or bad. He never bragged about himself other than “Hmm, told you. Listen to your old man once in a while.”
When I was near death back in 1966 as an 8-year old with Encephalitis he never left my hospital room for almost two weeks. I’m sure last summer when I had major surgery on my leg to remove the cancerous tumor he would have been the first one to the hospital and the last to leave.
And when my sister’s husband left her on ironically, his and mom’s anniversary in 1989, my dad held her hand and did his best to comfort her. And then the time when I made a game-winning catch to help my pee wee baseball team win the division championship he was the first to hop the fence and charge out to right field and give me a hug.
As I grew older my dad’s health began to deteriorate and he became less active. He tried to continue to play golf but couldn’t. He tried other things but just didn’t have the energy.
He developed a muscle disease similar to Lou Gehrig’s and was constantly falling. Numerous times I had to help him off the commode because he just flat couldn’t get off. He was embarrassed because he couldn’t really take care of himself anymore.
I did my best to be there for him – he was always there for me – even if it was just sitting on the couch while he sat in his recliner watching the Rangers. And most of the time he was just too tired to stay awake.
On June 10, 2000, one day after his and Mom’s 50th anniversary we celebrated with a big dinner. Just our immediate family and grand kids. I remember looking at him once and noticing he was soaking it all in and he had a smile on his face. He KNEW it would be the last time we would be all together.
I’ll close by telling you what my last conversation with him was in the hospital. You’ll chuckle.
My dad very rarely said any bad words but when he did look out! The muscle disease was causing him to have kidney problems so after having stents put in on a Tuesday – he would have to have a kidney removed the following day – he was in a lot of pain.
The nurses had to restrain his arms because he was trying to get out of bed. Dad never complained about how much pain he was in but this time was different. My nephew William, who was 12 at the time, and I went into see him in the ICU.
Dad, who was not himself was obviously in a lot of pain asked William if he had his new baseball bat with him. William didn’t have a new bat and looked at me strange. I just whispered to William that Grand Daddy Bill wasn’t himself, etc…
I asked Dad why he wanted William’s bat and he said quote unquote I’m going to kill that son of a (you know what) pointing to the male nurse in the room. The male nurse was laughing and William’s eyes grew big.
Dad was mad because the male nurse wouldn’t let him out of the restraints. Dad slipped into a coma after surgery the next day, suffering a brain stem stroke. We lost him a few days later.
My dad influenced me in a lot of ways, some he knew of, others he didn’t. Happy Father’s Day Bill Goffinet – you are dearly missed but in a better place than we are.
I miss my dad – think about him constantly and wonder if he’s playing golf every day in heaven with my uncle and other friends. Or if he’s relaxing with Mom since she joined him almost a year ago.
Because it’s Father’s Day I would like to say a few things about my dad. I won’t drag this out because I could write a book.
First, he was a good man. He wasn’t perfect and he never tried to be but he was a good man. Good husband, good father, good Granddaddy Bill and just plain good.
He was one of the best architects in Grand Prairie. He was active in the Grand Prairie Host Lions Club and once served as its president. He was a one-time deacon at Turnpike Church of Christ and always and I mean always, attended everything my sister Gwen and I were involved in.
He loved life and being an architect. Most important he loved us, his family. He stood by us regardless the situation whether good or bad. He never bragged about himself other than “Hmm, told you. Listen to your old man once in a while.”
When I was near death back in 1966 as an 8-year old with Encephalitis he never left my hospital room for almost two weeks. I’m sure last summer when I had major surgery on my leg to remove the cancerous tumor he would have been the first one to the hospital and the last to leave.
And when my sister’s husband left her on ironically, his and mom’s anniversary in 1989, my dad held her hand and did his best to comfort her. And then the time when I made a game-winning catch to help my pee wee baseball team win the division championship he was the first to hop the fence and charge out to right field and give me a hug.
As I grew older my dad’s health began to deteriorate and he became less active. He tried to continue to play golf but couldn’t. He tried other things but just didn’t have the energy.
He developed a muscle disease similar to Lou Gehrig’s and was constantly falling. Numerous times I had to help him off the commode because he just flat couldn’t get off. He was embarrassed because he couldn’t really take care of himself anymore.
I did my best to be there for him – he was always there for me – even if it was just sitting on the couch while he sat in his recliner watching the Rangers. And most of the time he was just too tired to stay awake.
On June 10, 2000, one day after his and Mom’s 50th anniversary we celebrated with a big dinner. Just our immediate family and grand kids. I remember looking at him once and noticing he was soaking it all in and he had a smile on his face. He KNEW it would be the last time we would be all together.
I’ll close by telling you what my last conversation with him was in the hospital. You’ll chuckle.
My dad very rarely said any bad words but when he did look out! The muscle disease was causing him to have kidney problems so after having stents put in on a Tuesday – he would have to have a kidney removed the following day – he was in a lot of pain.
The nurses had to restrain his arms because he was trying to get out of bed. Dad never complained about how much pain he was in but this time was different. My nephew William, who was 12 at the time, and I went into see him in the ICU.
Dad, who was not himself was obviously in a lot of pain asked William if he had his new baseball bat with him. William didn’t have a new bat and looked at me strange. I just whispered to William that Grand Daddy Bill wasn’t himself, etc…
I asked Dad why he wanted William’s bat and he said quote unquote I’m going to kill that son of a (you know what) pointing to the male nurse in the room. The male nurse was laughing and William’s eyes grew big.
Dad was mad because the male nurse wouldn’t let him out of the restraints. Dad slipped into a coma after surgery the next day, suffering a brain stem stroke. We lost him a few days later.
My dad influenced me in a lot of ways, some he knew of, others he didn’t. Happy Father’s Day Bill Goffinet – you are dearly missed but in a better place than we are.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Pac-16? Whaaaaat?
Colorado to the Pac-10? Make that Pac-11 now.
Wait, if Texas, Texas A&M and Texas Tech head west, then that makes it the Pac-14? Oklahoma and Oklahoma State will more than likely follow the three Texas schools to the Pac-14. So make that the Pac-16.
Bye bye Big 12.
Oh yeah we have Nebraska jumping the Big 12 ship and heading to the Big 10 which already has 11 schools. Is this the new Big 12? And the Big 10 as we know it today will not be done – Notre Dame is rumored to join Nebraska along with maybe a couple of Big East schools.
And we can’t forget the Southeastern Conference. It is rumored maybe Florida State and a Virginia Tech could join, making that a 14-school conference. Will it stop?
And what about Baylor? The Bears are whining because they don’t want to be left behind by the other quote unquote Texas schools. Baylor, thanks to Ann Richards, you should not have even been in the Big 12.
This reminds me of the UIL’s high school district realignments every two years. So and so is going in with this district – so and so in that one, etc. This is all mind boggling and I hate to see it happening.
I hated it back in 1992 when my Razorbacks left the prestigious Southwest Conference and headed to the SEC. Remember the SWC?
I think everyone knows this is all about the green dollar. Greed.
Add these teams to your conferences and you have to play that one extra game – the conference championship because you will have to split your schools in divisions. The SEC went to a East-West Division back in ’92 and the when Texas, A&M, Tech and Baylor joined OU, OSU, Missouri, Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa St., Kansas and Kansas St. of the Big 8 to form the Big 12, it went to a North-South Division format.
Obviously having a Texas play USC will draw sellout crowds in Austin and Los Angeles for football. But Longhorns fans get ready; when this all happens you’ll be up late on a Saturday night watching your team face USC. Remember Los Angeles is two hours behind us. Or Trojans fans might have to watch their team play in Austin at 10 a.m. on a Saturday morning if it’s a noon kickoff.
Or Aggies when your team is in Seattle to play Washington – say a Tuesday night during the basketball season – that alarm clock rings awful early the following morning. You ain’t gonna like it.
When the Big 12 formed we saw one of the greatest rivalries in all sports – OU and Nebraska – go away. Remember all those unbelievable football games over the years? Those were reduced to every two or three years because Nebraska was in the North and OU in the South.
I haven’t even talked about TCU yet. If and that’s a big IF, the remaining Big 12 teams stay together and for some reason Nebraska stays – at last report the Cornhuskers have not officially been invited to the Big 10 yet – then TCU could replace Colorado.
Of course we’re still looking at two or three years down the road. It’s just a shame but I guess I’m old school. I want the SWC back.
I want the Big 10 minus Penn St. I want the Big 8 back. But in the long run, who cares? We’re still going to watch the football games regardless of what conference it is. And we know this is pretty much about football and GREED.
I’m done rambling.
Wait, if Texas, Texas A&M and Texas Tech head west, then that makes it the Pac-14? Oklahoma and Oklahoma State will more than likely follow the three Texas schools to the Pac-14. So make that the Pac-16.
Bye bye Big 12.
Oh yeah we have Nebraska jumping the Big 12 ship and heading to the Big 10 which already has 11 schools. Is this the new Big 12? And the Big 10 as we know it today will not be done – Notre Dame is rumored to join Nebraska along with maybe a couple of Big East schools.
And we can’t forget the Southeastern Conference. It is rumored maybe Florida State and a Virginia Tech could join, making that a 14-school conference. Will it stop?
And what about Baylor? The Bears are whining because they don’t want to be left behind by the other quote unquote Texas schools. Baylor, thanks to Ann Richards, you should not have even been in the Big 12.
This reminds me of the UIL’s high school district realignments every two years. So and so is going in with this district – so and so in that one, etc. This is all mind boggling and I hate to see it happening.
I hated it back in 1992 when my Razorbacks left the prestigious Southwest Conference and headed to the SEC. Remember the SWC?
I think everyone knows this is all about the green dollar. Greed.
Add these teams to your conferences and you have to play that one extra game – the conference championship because you will have to split your schools in divisions. The SEC went to a East-West Division back in ’92 and the when Texas, A&M, Tech and Baylor joined OU, OSU, Missouri, Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa St., Kansas and Kansas St. of the Big 8 to form the Big 12, it went to a North-South Division format.
Obviously having a Texas play USC will draw sellout crowds in Austin and Los Angeles for football. But Longhorns fans get ready; when this all happens you’ll be up late on a Saturday night watching your team face USC. Remember Los Angeles is two hours behind us. Or Trojans fans might have to watch their team play in Austin at 10 a.m. on a Saturday morning if it’s a noon kickoff.
Or Aggies when your team is in Seattle to play Washington – say a Tuesday night during the basketball season – that alarm clock rings awful early the following morning. You ain’t gonna like it.
When the Big 12 formed we saw one of the greatest rivalries in all sports – OU and Nebraska – go away. Remember all those unbelievable football games over the years? Those were reduced to every two or three years because Nebraska was in the North and OU in the South.
I haven’t even talked about TCU yet. If and that’s a big IF, the remaining Big 12 teams stay together and for some reason Nebraska stays – at last report the Cornhuskers have not officially been invited to the Big 10 yet – then TCU could replace Colorado.
Of course we’re still looking at two or three years down the road. It’s just a shame but I guess I’m old school. I want the SWC back.
I want the Big 10 minus Penn St. I want the Big 8 back. But in the long run, who cares? We’re still going to watch the football games regardless of what conference it is. And we know this is pretty much about football and GREED.
I’m done rambling.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
For 50 and over....
I recently took the first step in losing my “cancer weight”. I joined The Summit, a health club for Grand Prairie residents 50 and over and I was told cost over $20 million to build.
Rhonda and I took a tour of the facility today and all I can say is wow! This place is incredible. It is located off Hwy 161 and Warrior Trail, just across from the Dubiski Center.
Rhonda, even though she’s not of age yet – she is constantly reminding me too – joined too since she is married to an old man. The price is reasonable for one year and the first year they were giving you an extra two months.
The swimming area is awesome and there is a vortex pool I can’t wait to get into. You can walk/swim against the current and I understand this will help in building the strength back in my leg as well as my bad knee on the other leg.
There is naturally an indoor walking/jogging track and a nice weight room featuring Technogym equipment, the same equipment used in the Olympics. But another cool feature is the outdoor walking/jogging trails around count ‘em, five ponds stocked with fish.
Add to that an outdoor horseshoe area and a patio for concerts. We don’t fool around in Grand Prairie!
There are other features such as an arts and crafts room, a Wii fitness room, a pool hall, a movie theatre, massage therapy and a café. In other words The Summit is a first class facility.
I’m looking forward to losing the 20+ pounds I gained in the last year. I call it my cancer weight. My goal: lose 10 pounds before our summer cruise in six weeks. My ultimate goal: get back to what I weighed when I was playing softball for Graham Central Station.
However, that was over 25 years ago and – gulp – almost 50 pounds. Needless to say, I have a long way to go.
Rhonda and I took a tour of the facility today and all I can say is wow! This place is incredible. It is located off Hwy 161 and Warrior Trail, just across from the Dubiski Center.
Rhonda, even though she’s not of age yet – she is constantly reminding me too – joined too since she is married to an old man. The price is reasonable for one year and the first year they were giving you an extra two months.
The swimming area is awesome and there is a vortex pool I can’t wait to get into. You can walk/swim against the current and I understand this will help in building the strength back in my leg as well as my bad knee on the other leg.
There is naturally an indoor walking/jogging track and a nice weight room featuring Technogym equipment, the same equipment used in the Olympics. But another cool feature is the outdoor walking/jogging trails around count ‘em, five ponds stocked with fish.
Add to that an outdoor horseshoe area and a patio for concerts. We don’t fool around in Grand Prairie!
There are other features such as an arts and crafts room, a Wii fitness room, a pool hall, a movie theatre, massage therapy and a café. In other words The Summit is a first class facility.
I’m looking forward to losing the 20+ pounds I gained in the last year. I call it my cancer weight. My goal: lose 10 pounds before our summer cruise in six weeks. My ultimate goal: get back to what I weighed when I was playing softball for Graham Central Station.
However, that was over 25 years ago and – gulp – almost 50 pounds. Needless to say, I have a long way to go.
Friday, May 21, 2010
One year later....
I haven’t blogged in a while – over four months. A lot has been going on in my life, mainly trying to get back into the groove of things following my cancer treatments.
I finished chemo treatments on February 18 at 2 p.m. My life is, well, almost back to normal. That is if I had a normal life to begin with.
I still feel the affects of the chemo some three months later and was told by my oncologist it could take as long as a year before I wouldn’t feel anymore affects. Maybe longer.
So in the meantime I’m just trying to gain my strength back. It’s hard to believe it’s been a year since I was diagnosed. Actually one year ago today, May 21, 2009; the tumor in my left calf was malignant.
Synovial Cell Sarcoma is a rare type cancer affecting soft tissue. It very rarely strikes someone my age but it did and the surgery to remove it was quite complicated. The surgery, which included a “free flap”, took over seven hours – an hour to remove the tumor and another six hours for the plastic surgeon to do his thing. Free flap is a fancy term for a skin graph and was taken from my back.
In the last 12 months I have had major surgery, chemo, radiation and hyperbaric oxygen chamber treatments. I have had numerous shots, blood drawn and a blood transfusion. But now I’m better and despite walking with a limp I’m alive and I still have my leg.
After being off from work for six months I am now back in full swing and contributing at my job. The AirHogs, Grand Prairie’s minor league baseball team, have started their season and I am a part time employee operating the scoreboard.
And on Monday I start at a new health club in Grand Prairie called The Summit. It is for Grand Prairie residents 50 and over. It’s time to get rid of my “cancer weight” the 20+ pounds I gained while on medical leave.
I will also be a grand father in September. My oldest daughter Amanda is pregnant with my grand son. Yes it's a boy.
Life is good again.
I finished chemo treatments on February 18 at 2 p.m. My life is, well, almost back to normal. That is if I had a normal life to begin with.
I still feel the affects of the chemo some three months later and was told by my oncologist it could take as long as a year before I wouldn’t feel anymore affects. Maybe longer.
So in the meantime I’m just trying to gain my strength back. It’s hard to believe it’s been a year since I was diagnosed. Actually one year ago today, May 21, 2009; the tumor in my left calf was malignant.
Synovial Cell Sarcoma is a rare type cancer affecting soft tissue. It very rarely strikes someone my age but it did and the surgery to remove it was quite complicated. The surgery, which included a “free flap”, took over seven hours – an hour to remove the tumor and another six hours for the plastic surgeon to do his thing. Free flap is a fancy term for a skin graph and was taken from my back.
In the last 12 months I have had major surgery, chemo, radiation and hyperbaric oxygen chamber treatments. I have had numerous shots, blood drawn and a blood transfusion. But now I’m better and despite walking with a limp I’m alive and I still have my leg.
After being off from work for six months I am now back in full swing and contributing at my job. The AirHogs, Grand Prairie’s minor league baseball team, have started their season and I am a part time employee operating the scoreboard.
And on Monday I start at a new health club in Grand Prairie called The Summit. It is for Grand Prairie residents 50 and over. It’s time to get rid of my “cancer weight” the 20+ pounds I gained while on medical leave.
I will also be a grand father in September. My oldest daughter Amanda is pregnant with my grand son. Yes it's a boy.
Life is good again.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Finally! How 'bout them Cowboys!
Finally! 34-14 over the Eagles gave our beloved Dallas Cowboys their first playoff victory since 1996.
The pessimist in me figured it might not happen this year, especially after losing to San Diego in early December and seeing the Cowboys’ top defensive player Demarcus Ware carted off on a backboard. And with unbeaten New Orleans six days later it did not look good for the ‘Boys, who were left sitting at 8-5 and trailing the first place Eagles in the NFC East.
But then something happened. Dallas went into the Big Easy and literally spanked the Saints. The score ended up being 24-17 but Dallas was ahead 24-7 midway through the fourth quarter. Dallas handed ‘Nawlins its first setback.
Okay but there were still two games left including one with the Eagles. I’m still feeling a little pessimistic but a 17-0 win over the Redskins meant a battle for the NFC East championship with the Eagles. At home.
Now I’ve come to my senses. The way the Cowboys are playing they’re going to win the East. Boom! 24-0 over the Eagles. The defense had a second shutout and the team had a No. 3 seed in the NFC Playoffs.
I admit sitting through chemo treatments all week I didn’t know if Dallas could beat Philadelphia a third time but I knew if the Cowboys put together another performance close to last week’s they could.
Sure enough tonight, 34-14! The offense dominated time of possession and scored on five straight series in the second quarter to build a 27-7 lead. The Cowboys were riding high – the Eagles were flying pretty low. But still 30 minutes to play.
My Razorback homie Felix Jones sealed the deal in the third quarter with his 73-yard touchdown run. Reminded me of his days in Fayetteville. And it reminded Cowboys fans what the real Felix can do when he’s healthy.
Tony Romo was not perfect tonight but relatively close. He threw no interceptions and the Cowboys committed no turnovers. Penalties? Well…still a good night by all.
The offense line blocked well. The receivers, including Roy Williams, caught passes. And the running backs ran hard. Defensively, holding a high-powered Eagles’ offense to only 14 points over the last eight quarters, was incredible and has been even in the win over New Orleans.
Dallas has a chance to win this whole thing. There I said it. IF, and that’s a big IF, they can continue their late season roll. It will not be easy next Sunday in Minneapolis, but then when is anything easy in the playoffs?
Go Cowboys!
The pessimist in me figured it might not happen this year, especially after losing to San Diego in early December and seeing the Cowboys’ top defensive player Demarcus Ware carted off on a backboard. And with unbeaten New Orleans six days later it did not look good for the ‘Boys, who were left sitting at 8-5 and trailing the first place Eagles in the NFC East.
But then something happened. Dallas went into the Big Easy and literally spanked the Saints. The score ended up being 24-17 but Dallas was ahead 24-7 midway through the fourth quarter. Dallas handed ‘Nawlins its first setback.
Okay but there were still two games left including one with the Eagles. I’m still feeling a little pessimistic but a 17-0 win over the Redskins meant a battle for the NFC East championship with the Eagles. At home.
Now I’ve come to my senses. The way the Cowboys are playing they’re going to win the East. Boom! 24-0 over the Eagles. The defense had a second shutout and the team had a No. 3 seed in the NFC Playoffs.
I admit sitting through chemo treatments all week I didn’t know if Dallas could beat Philadelphia a third time but I knew if the Cowboys put together another performance close to last week’s they could.
Sure enough tonight, 34-14! The offense dominated time of possession and scored on five straight series in the second quarter to build a 27-7 lead. The Cowboys were riding high – the Eagles were flying pretty low. But still 30 minutes to play.
My Razorback homie Felix Jones sealed the deal in the third quarter with his 73-yard touchdown run. Reminded me of his days in Fayetteville. And it reminded Cowboys fans what the real Felix can do when he’s healthy.
Tony Romo was not perfect tonight but relatively close. He threw no interceptions and the Cowboys committed no turnovers. Penalties? Well…still a good night by all.
The offense line blocked well. The receivers, including Roy Williams, caught passes. And the running backs ran hard. Defensively, holding a high-powered Eagles’ offense to only 14 points over the last eight quarters, was incredible and has been even in the win over New Orleans.
Dallas has a chance to win this whole thing. There I said it. IF, and that’s a big IF, they can continue their late season roll. It will not be easy next Sunday in Minneapolis, but then when is anything easy in the playoffs?
Go Cowboys!
Friday, January 1, 2010
Resolutions? LOSE weight and blog more
We all say we're going to lose weight at the beginning of the year. That's pretty much on everyone's New Year's resolution list.
Well I can honestly say it is #1 on my list for 2010. I weigh more now than I have my entire life. Okay I'm not ashamed, well I am ashamed, but not ashamed to say I weigh as I type 236 pounds. TWO HUNDRED THIRTY SIX. Can you say The Biggest Loser?
Why do I weigh so much? Hang on a sec and let me take another drink of my Pepsi.
That's part of the problem right there. I'm still drinking way too many sodas. I just can't seem to give sodas up. You would think if I could give up smoking almost 30 years ago cold turkey I should be able to give up Pepsi's right?
The biggest reason I've gained so much weight lately is the fact I'm not exercising. I do have an excuse – I’ve been recovering from cancer surgery on my left calf in which I lost 90% of it as well as my Achilles tendon.
I cannot jog anymore and really cannot walk without the use of a cane. I spend most of my free time on the couch with my leg jacked up on three pillows because if I’m on my feet too long my left foot and ankle swell.
I have an excuse for that too. I am continuing hyperbaric oxygen chamber treatments for a couple of wounds on my leg that have not healed because of damaged skin from radiation. “Diving” every day the equivalent of 40 feet can sometimes wipe you out and make you very sleepy.
Plus chemo made me gain a lot, too. But a lot of that weight gain is fluids given along with the chemo. In fact, the first round of my chemo I gained 17 pounds in 36 hours – all fluids. After being given a diuretic and going to the bathroom every 20 minutes I lost those 17 pounds pretty fast. LOL
I can start a diet on Monday (Jan. 4) but I resume chemo. Then I will most likely finish up my hyperbaric treatments the following two weeks before another round of chemo. That means more time on the couch.
Hopefully once hyperbaric and chemo is done I can gradually start exercising again. I can definitely start cutting out the Pepsi’s and start drinking more water. I’ve been told by Rhonda a million times water is the way to go.
Rhonda and I used to walk for two hours on a regular basis but now that will be limited to maybe just a trek up and down my street or how my foot can handle. So it might take a while before the weight is gone.
My goal is to lose 20-25 pounds by July when Rhonda and I hope to take an Alaskan cruise to celebrate our 25th anniversary. My ultimate goal is to get back to my softball playing and wedding weight – 185 pounds.
That, however, may take two to three years.
And one last resolution – blog more often. I would love to blog every day but when you live a non-exciting life, it’s kind of hard. Maybe I’ll blog about my quest to lose weight?
Happy New Year!
Well I can honestly say it is #1 on my list for 2010. I weigh more now than I have my entire life. Okay I'm not ashamed, well I am ashamed, but not ashamed to say I weigh as I type 236 pounds. TWO HUNDRED THIRTY SIX. Can you say The Biggest Loser?
Why do I weigh so much? Hang on a sec and let me take another drink of my Pepsi.
That's part of the problem right there. I'm still drinking way too many sodas. I just can't seem to give sodas up. You would think if I could give up smoking almost 30 years ago cold turkey I should be able to give up Pepsi's right?
The biggest reason I've gained so much weight lately is the fact I'm not exercising. I do have an excuse – I’ve been recovering from cancer surgery on my left calf in which I lost 90% of it as well as my Achilles tendon.
I cannot jog anymore and really cannot walk without the use of a cane. I spend most of my free time on the couch with my leg jacked up on three pillows because if I’m on my feet too long my left foot and ankle swell.
I have an excuse for that too. I am continuing hyperbaric oxygen chamber treatments for a couple of wounds on my leg that have not healed because of damaged skin from radiation. “Diving” every day the equivalent of 40 feet can sometimes wipe you out and make you very sleepy.
Plus chemo made me gain a lot, too. But a lot of that weight gain is fluids given along with the chemo. In fact, the first round of my chemo I gained 17 pounds in 36 hours – all fluids. After being given a diuretic and going to the bathroom every 20 minutes I lost those 17 pounds pretty fast. LOL
I can start a diet on Monday (Jan. 4) but I resume chemo. Then I will most likely finish up my hyperbaric treatments the following two weeks before another round of chemo. That means more time on the couch.
Hopefully once hyperbaric and chemo is done I can gradually start exercising again. I can definitely start cutting out the Pepsi’s and start drinking more water. I’ve been told by Rhonda a million times water is the way to go.
Rhonda and I used to walk for two hours on a regular basis but now that will be limited to maybe just a trek up and down my street or how my foot can handle. So it might take a while before the weight is gone.
My goal is to lose 20-25 pounds by July when Rhonda and I hope to take an Alaskan cruise to celebrate our 25th anniversary. My ultimate goal is to get back to my softball playing and wedding weight – 185 pounds.
That, however, may take two to three years.
And one last resolution – blog more often. I would love to blog every day but when you live a non-exciting life, it’s kind of hard. Maybe I’ll blog about my quest to lose weight?
Happy New Year!
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