About The Banks County news. (Homer, Banks County, Ga.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (July 26, 2017)
PAGE 2B THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS WEDNESDAY, JULY 26, 2017 Cheer Camp HAVING FUN London Rylee is hoisted up by Mitchell Shull (left) and Sidney Maloy (right) during the Banks County Cheer Camp. GOING THROUGH THE ROUTINE Two Banks County High School cheerleaders show a cheer routine to campers at last week’s Banks County Cheer Camp at the Banks County Parks and Recreation Department. Campers learned cheers, tumbled and more. Photos by Charles Phelps FANCY MOVE Emily Adams does a one-handed cartwheel during a drill at the Banks County Cheer Camp. THE CHEER A group of campers go through a cheer routine taught to them by some of the Banks County High School cheerleading squad. Funderburk ... Cont. from IB has chops for the Braves tomahawk chop. Hush Puppies is another food name, just not as creative. Gobblers refers to turkey hunting. Then there’s the two decent ones. Sweet Tea’s because who in the South doesn’t love sweet tea? And Big Mouths is a reference to Large Mouth Bass from Lake Lanier. Lastly, the likely winner, Buttons, named for Button Gwinnett, a founding father, Georgia representative to the Continental Congress and signer of the Declaration of Independence. Again, not a great name by any means. But does this really deserve the resistance that it’s getting? At first fans were just angry that Gwinnett was changing their name in the first place. I was excited when the Gwinnett Braves made that initial announcement. I’ve wished for a name change since the team moved to Lawrenceville from Richmond, Va., in 2009. It allows the AAA club to step out of the MLB club’s shadow and give them a recognizable and unique brand of their own. Plus, naming minor league affiliates after the big-league club is just boring. There’s a reason why only 30 of the 160 minor league teams from rookie league to AAA are named after the MLB affiliate. That’s not how fans saw it. They didn’t understand why the nickname should change. They’re acting like calling a Braves minor league club anything other than the Braves is sacrilege. And now that the six names that fans can vote for have been announced, they’re even less pleased. But why? It’s baseball; it’s a game. They’re not warriors fighting for the livelihood of themselves and their com munities. They play a game for a living. This is supposed to be fun, not formal. Some say, “Who wants to play or root for the Buttons, or Big Mouths, or Sweet Tea’s?” Who cares? You ever go to a college and see what intramural teams name themselves? It’s just as silly. More important than that, it’s fun which is what baseball is supposed to be. We’re talking about a team made up of teenagers and young adults who for their whole lives have taken this sport as seriously as possible to achieve their dream of playing professional baseball. Who are we as fans to say that they shouldn’t have to play for a team with a silly nickname? For some of these guys, baseball was their only way out of terrible sit uations. Some of them were pushed rigorously by coaches and parents because their superior talent present ed itself at a very young age. With all the money, all the work, all the formalities involved, I think many have forgotten that baseball is a game. Not just any game, America’s pas time. A game we sit in our seats in the nice spring and summer air. Buy a 24-ounce cup of Coke, a hot dog, maybe some popcorn or peanuts. We applaud good hits and catches, jeer at umpires who can’t quite judge the strike zone how we want them to. All of this while a man on a little hill throws a ball toward a guy in a mask while another guy with a big, wooden club tries to hit the ball. And seven other guys try to catch and throw the ball around. What does it matter if the team’s nickname is a little silly? Lighten up, it’s baseball. It’s just a game. Kyle Funderburk is a reporter for Mainstreet Newspapers. He can be reached at kyle@mainstreetnews. com. Phelps ... Cont. from IB ahead and played the last five holes in 5-under par. Clutch. True grit. That’s what I think of. Again, Tigeresque. Think of the 2005 Masters, Tiger was staring a bogey square in the face when he made a chip-in birdie on the 16th hole during the final round. The birdie gave him a two-stroke cushion that he needed because he would bogey the final two holes of the tournament and drop into a playoff. Or Tiger making a bird ie on the first-playoff hole during the PGA Champion ship in 2000. First, he had to make a nogimmie 7-foot birdie putt just to make the playoff. Then, he makes birdie on the first-playoff hole and didn’t look back. Timely birdies. Timely pars. Timely everything it seems. That’s where the compar ison of Spieth and Woods truly is. Like Woods, Spieth capitalizes on any advantage given to him. At 23 years old, Spieth has three majors: The Masters, U.S. Open and Open Cham pionship. That’s three legs of the career Grand Slam. Tiger was 24 when he won his third-career major, which was also the third leg of the career Grand Slam at the his toric 100th U.S. Open in 2000 at Pebble Beach Golf Links. Spieth has a flare for the dramatic, like Tiger. Spieth has a nose for the lead, like Tiger. Spieth has the “it” fac tor coming down the stretch, like Tiger. He’s starting to be come my favorite golfer. One day, a long time from now, I’m thinking the year may be 2047 when he’s 53 years old, I may be saying, “Jordan Spi eth, the greatest golfer of all time.” Charles Phelps is a reporter for MainStreet Newspapers. INVITATION TO BID Banks County will be receiving sealed bids to provide Banks County EMA / E-911 with a 911 Recording System. This invitation is advertised July 18, 2017 and will be published in the Banks County News and in Access North Georgia as well as posted on the County website at bankscountvga.org . The complete bid package may be downloaded from bankscountvga.org or by emailing dmoore@co.banks.ga.us or by calling the EMA / E-911 Director 706-677-3163 to have a copy mailed or emailed to you. All parties interested in bidding that may have questions about the bid must submit all questions in writing via email to dmoore@co.banks.ga.us so that all parties bidding may be copied on those questions and answers. All interested parties must RSVP for a mandatory Pre-Bid Meeting. RSVP due by July 27, 2017. Mandatory Pre-Bid at Banks County Annex, located at 150 Hudson Ridge on July 28, 2017 at 10a for those that RSVP. Sealed bids due on or before 10:00a.m.; August 25,2017. They should be submitted to the Banks County Commissioner's Office located at 150 Hudson Ridge, Suite 1, Homer, Georgia 30547. Dates are subject to change should unforeseen events arise. Any changes in dates will be posted on the Banks County website at www.co.banks.ga.us. Advertised: July 18, 2017 Mandatory Pre-Bid: July 28, 2017 @ 10a Sealed Bids Due: August 25, 2017 Potential Bid Award: September, 2017 Potential Install / Go Live: September or October, 2017
