Newspaper Page Text
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♦ FRIDAY, AUGUST 31, 2007
Houston ©mly .TJmmral
OPINION
Daniel F. Evans
President
Editor and Publisher
Julie B. Evans
Vice President
Group Marketing
Two years from the storm
Two years ago this week, a great
American city was effectively
destroyed - not just by a force of
nature, but by political and government
ineptness and, at the local level, incredibly
poor planning for an inevitable disaster.
It was never
a matter of IF
New Orleans
was going
to come to a
world of harm.
It was a mat
ter of WHEN.
What has
followed has
also been dis
couraging, and
New Orleans
remains at
risk in case
of another
Category 4 or
5 hurricane.
Again, it’s
WHEN, not
IF.
The politi
cians have arrived to make their speeches in
the last few days. The media, which at least
brought the true story or drownings, roof
top rescues, and desperate masses of people
to the world’s attention, has returned for
the obligatory “anniversary” story.
We see no signs that the lessons of Katrina
have been learned, but we can speak at
the local level to say that every city in the
country can learn the importance of real
preparedness, and the importance of hav
ing the right people on the ground and in
charge when a disaster takes place.
It should never be forgotten that everyone
in a position of responsibility KNEW what
would happen to New Orleans if a Category
5 hurricane hit. We cannot control Mother
Nature. We all know, as the teacher in
Eccelesiates put it that “time and chance
happeneth to all men.”
We also should be prepared to the best of
our ability for disasters, and leaders should
prove themselves in crises by rising above
partisanship and turf battles.
Katrina brought tragedy and loss to a
huge area of our country.
Have we learned anything?
Boys will be boys
Just a note to parents: There are few
better ways to get your first and sec
ond grade boys off to a good start than
through the
cub scout pro
gram. It’s not
just that it’s
fun.
It’s also a
way for kids
to be part of
something
bigger, to take
rules seriously
and to earn
that “self-
esteem” that so many people think ought to
be handed out like cookies and milk.
Scouting - from the Tigers to the Eagle
Ceremony - builds good values and good
citizenship. Do something good for your
boys. Get them into scouting, and get in
there yourself as a volunteer.
Letter to the Editor
Congrats WRALL
Let me add my “congratulations” to your WRALL
championship team. Your coaches and players exhibited
the finest in sportsmanship, grit and determination. Of
course, it broke my heart to see our SW team go down in
defeat, hut, knowing it was done by a very classy group
of Georgians made it more tolerable. You deserved the
victory and represented the USA wonderfully.
Terry Richardson, Lubbock, Texas
Foy S. Evans
Editor Emeritus
Don Moncrief
Managing Editor
We see no signs that
the lessons of Katrina
have been learned,
but we can speak at
the local level to say
that every city in the
country can learn the
importance of real
preparedness, and the
importance of having
the right people on the
ground and in charge
when a disaster takes
place.
It's also a way for kids
to be part of something
bigger, to take rules
seriously and to earn
that “self-esteem" that
so many people think
ought to be handed out
like cookies and milk.
'O7 college football season is upon us
Some of you don’t care. Lots of
you, including Larry, do. What?
College football starts tomor
row. The ‘dogs are in Athens, playing
Oklahoma State, and the ‘jackets take
on the Notre Dame in South Bend. It
doesn’t get much better than this.
This is what I think, for what it’s
worth - which is nothing. Georgia has
great athletes, but a suspect offensive
line.
I think the Dawgs will surprise
and will win at least nine games, not
including the bowl game. Tech is
also going to be better than is being
predicted and will be in the hunt for
the ACC Championship. Gailey is a
better coach than is generally credited.
Enough about my non-important, non
educated predictions. Let’s move onto
something even lighter.
My friend, Allan Stalvey, a Citadel
graduate and Gamecock fanatic, sent
me some great quotations from some
well-known football personalities. Let
me share some of them with you.
“At Georgia Southern, we don’t
cheat. That costs money and we don’t
have any.” Erk Russell / Georgia
Southern.
“Football is only a game. Spiritual
things are eternal. Nevertheless, Beat
Texas.” Seen on a church sign in
Arkansas prior to the 1969 game.
“After you retire, there’s only one big
event left... and I ain’t ready for that.”
Bobby Bowden / Florida State.
“A school without football is in dan
ger of deteriorating into a medieval
study hall.” Frank Leahy / Notre
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My first, last words on lowlife Vick
A number of readers have asked
why I haven’t written about the
Michael Vick saga. I have tried
to ignore the subject since everyone
else feels compelled to blather about it
ad nauseum. What is there left to say?
Frankly, Vick isn’t worth the precious
space I am allotted on these pages. He
is a lowlife and a liar who assumed that
because he is a gifted athlete he could
operate by a different set of rules than
the rest of us. Bad assumption. The
feds have thrown him for a loss. After
months of denying any responsibil
ity, Vick finally has pled guilty in U.S.
District Court to financing a gambling
enterprise for dogfights, and for the
death of six to eight defenseless dogs
through the “collective efforts” of Vick
and his boyhood buddies. He has also
been suspended indefinitely from the
NFL and lost his endorsement deal
with Nike.
For once, the usual list of suspects
who would try covertly to position Vick
as a victim of racism has been drowned
out by public outrage black and
white over his despicable behav
ior. But give them an “A” for effort.
The Southern Christian Leadership
Conference’s out-to-lunch President
Charles Steele had stated that his
group would find a way to salute Vick
during its recent national conven
tion. “We will recognize Vick for being
an outstanding human being,” said
Steele. On what planet has this guy
been residing?
Fortunately, State Rep. Tyrone
Brooks, president of the Georgia
Association of Black Elected Officials,
was able to help Steele extricate his
OPINION
Dame.
“I don’t expect to win enough games
to be put on NCAA probation. I just
want to win enough to warrant an
investigation.” Bob Devaney /
Nebraska.
“In Alabama, an atheist is someone
who doesn’t believe in Bear Bryant.”
Wally Butts / Georgia.
“You can learn more character on the
two-yard line than anywhere else in
life.” Paul Dietzel / LSU.
It’s kind of hard to rally around a math
class.” Bear Bryant / Alabama.
“No, but you can see it from here.”
Lou Holtz / Arkansas . . . When
asked if Fayetteville was the end of the
world.
“I make my practices real hard
because if a player is a quitter, I want
him to quit in practice, not in a game.”
Bear Bryant / Alabama.
“Lads, you’re not to miss practice
unless your parents died or you died.”
Frank Leahy / Notre Dame.
“I never graduated from lowa,
but I was only there for two terms
- Truman’s and Eisenhower’s.” Alex
Karras / lowa.
COASTAL SIGNS
foot from his big mouth. There would
be no awards for this “outstanding
human being” at the convention after
all. “There are a lot of young peo
ple who need our help,” Brooks said.
“Michael Vick is not one of them. All
he does is run and throw a football.”
Brooks also mentioned in passing
that the quarterback hadn’t been a
financial supporter of the SCLC. Hmm.
I wonder if Brooks would have been as
hard-line had Vick showered the SCLC
with dollars instead of pursuing his
interest in animal cruelty? Since this is
the first time I have ever agreed with
anything Tyrone Brooks has uttered, I
will give him the benefit of the doubt.
Not wanting the SCLC to hog all
the headlines, the Atlanta chapter of
the NAACP decided they should weigh
in. R. L. White, the group’s president,
said, “We ask the NFL, Falcons and the
sponsors not to permanently ban Mr.
Vick from his ability to bring hours of
enjoyment to fans all over this country. ”
Why in the name of Hades does he care
about bringing “hours of enjoyment
to fans”? Why isn’t he speaking out
instead about black-on-black crime?
Single mothers? Deadbeat dads? Why
isn’t the NAACP holding press confer-
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Larry
Walker
Columnist
lwalker@whgb-law.com
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CREATORS SYNDICATE. INC
5
Dick
Yarbrough
Columnist
yarb24oo@bellsouth.net
“I could have been a Rhodes
Scholar, except for my grades.” Duffy
Daugherty / Michigan State.
“Always remember ... Goliath was a
40 point favorite over David.” Shug
Jordan / Auburn.
“They cut us up like boarding house
pie. And that’s real small pieces.”
Darrell Royal / Texas.
“Show me a good and gracious loser,
and I’ll show you a failure.”
Knute Rockne / Notre Dame.
“Football is not a contact sport-it is
a collision sport. Dancing is a contact
sport.” Duffy Daugherty / Michigan
State.
After USC lost 51-0 to Notre Dame,
his post game message to his team:
“All those who need showers, take
them.” John McKay / USC.
“The only qualifications for a line
man are to be big and dumb. To be
a back, you only have to be dumb.”
Knute Rockne / Notre Dame.
“We didn’t tackle well today but
we made up for it by not blocking.”
John McKay / USC.
“I’ve found that prayers work best
when you have big players.”
Knute Rockne / Notre Dame.
“Gentlemen, it is better to have died
a small boy than to fumble this foot
ball.” John Heisman.
And, then one from Perry High
School’s 1959 Region Championship
team:
“I was small, but I was slow.”
Larry Walker, 135 pound quarter
back.
Go Dawgs! Beat Tech!
111
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ences, to tell young people that Michael
Vick is a lousy role model and to stay
in school, get an education and become
productive members of society?
Then there is the pride of Georgia
Tech, Stephon Marbury, who gave
up his dream of becoming a nuclear
physicist after only a year in school so
that he could play pro basketball and
get tattoos all over his body. Marbury
opined that he considers dogfighting a
“sport” conducted behind closed doors.
If Sheila the Family Wonderdog reads
this, she is liable to bite Mr. Marbury
where the sun doesn’t shine. She would
consider that great sport.
And poor ol’ Arthur Blank. This
naive man bought the Atlanta Falcons
with a part of the fortune he amassed
at Home Depot and then gave Vick
$l3O million for 10 years to quarter
back the team. He even piloted Vick
around in a wheelchair on the side
lines at the Falcon games after the
PETA poster boy broke his leg. The
“outstanding human being” repaid his
owner’s generosity with boorish behav
ior on and off the field, and by lying to
Blank about his dogfighting enterprise.
Welcome to the wonderful world of pro
fessional sports, Arthur.
So Michael Vick’s days as an Atlanta
Falcon or even as a pro football player
appear to be over. So what? I say
goodbye and good riddance. There you
have it: My first and last words on the
subject.
You can reach Dick Yarbrough at
yarb24oo(<£bellsouth.net, P.O. Box
725373, Atlanta, Georgia 31139, or
Web site: www.dickyarbrough.com.
HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL