Crazy

A Billings Gazette headline goes like this tonight: Shepard forfeits games with Lodge Grass over safety concerns. Hmm … interesting. What “safety concerns” could possibly lead to instant forfeit?


Well, let’s see. For starters, “… the Lodge Grass boys’ basketball team racked up six technical fouls for unsportsmanlike conduct during a game in Shepherd in December.” Okay, six is bad but not unprecedented. But I read on. “Shepherd players also reported receiving death threats after the game.” Yeah, that's bad.

It gets worse.

“Shepherd board trustees also took into account an incident in Lodge Grass in November in which several Lodge Grass students barricaded a road with tree branches to stop a bus carrying the St. Labre junior high school girls’ basketball team. The Lodge Grass teens pelted the bus with rocks and allegedly shot the bus with BB guns, shattering a window and terrifying the girls. Three boys were later arrested and charged with criminal mischief and endangerment.” Are you serious?

Oh wait. There’s more.

“One Lodge Grass player head-butted a Shepherd player while the teams were in line for a free throw, she said. Another Lodge Grass player dropped his shorts, and others argued with the referees.” Dropped his shorts?!

I recall playing in some crazy games in my younger days, but I would definitely have to say that the games where the refs and players lost complete control of the game have come after my days of genuine organized basketball – better known to us “has-been’s” or maybe “never-been's” as intramurals. They can get pretty ugly. Fortunately, I can’t say that anyone has ever dropped their shorts. You have to commend them on their creativity though, right? Anyway, interesting story ... sad to see but that's how it goes. Hopefully something is done to prevent this from ever happening in the future and the two teams can peacefully take to the court once again. What a shame.

Renae out …

Sportscaster or Cowboy?

Well … all that excitement and anticipation for tonight’s big game is now over. ND scored quickly in the first quarter but never found a groove and fell to Ohio State, 20-34. In addition to ND’s lackluster play, the commentary of Brent Musberger made for a miserable experience. We thought Musberger graduated from Ohio State the way he was pulling for them, but Dale thought he might have graduated from Syracuse. Get this: turns out he actually graduated from Northwestern but grew up in Billings. Yes, Billings, MT. When I googled his bio I found out this. Looks like he still has a 2,600-acre ranch in the Bitterroot Valley.

Nevertheless, great effort by all tonight. Definitely a tough game – the majority of Irish fans probably wouldn’t have guessed that the team would even go this far in 2005. This losing streak in bowl games though is shocking though. Next year has got to be the year that things really change. Next year can't get here soon enough.

Everyone have a great first full week in 2006!

Renae out …

Happy Hooter's New Year

Dale and I of course did our traditional dinner and drinks at Hooter's last night for New Year's. Quiet night -- guess we're getting old (the bars tend to be quiet around here though especially on New Year's because they stop serving alcohol at midnight). We did catch some of ESPN's first-ever New Year's countdown show (nice sports twist but nothing too exciting) and then of course Dick Clark's Rockin New Year's Eve. We were surprised to see Dick Clark on the show again after missing last year because of his stroke. Took a lot of courage for him and his family to be there last night. His trademark was always his voice, and although he still has more progess to make with his speech, it was certainly inspiring to see him back this year.

Wishing everyone an awesome 2006. May it bring you nothing but happiness and health.

Renae out ...