More Pictures From Talladega

Gentlemen, Start Your Engines!!

Forrest and Damian

Entering the Tri-Oval

In case you were wondering, yes, I am a redneck. A Nascar-loving, Jeff Gordon-hating, Talladega-bound redneck. And oh, how I love it. My Dad got tickets to the Aaron's 499 and we loaded up Forrest and my nephew Damian and headed out. Supposed to rain, you say? Thunderstorms during the race, you say? Doesn't scare us. (BTW, poured at home, not a drop at the track.) My Lord, how the fans do love them some Dale, Jr. Except for one Matt Kenseth fan one row behind us, I think everyone else in our section was a Junior fan. Unfortunately, we you are rooting for the Bobby Labonte #43 car, you spend your day wondering when he will get caught up in a wreck. But it was a great day, Junior was near the front most of the day so everyone else was happy. Kids had fun, so I guess that is all that really matters. But next time, I want to work the race again so I can be in the pits, close to the action.

Great Smokey Mountains

General Hood, meet the General Lee

Yeah, I'm bad!

Snow on the mountains

Just got back from a quick trip to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. It had been 10 years since the wife and I had been, and our kids had never been. So, we decided to load up the family, including the cat, and make our way north to the mountains of Tennessee.

One place we visited was the Movie and Television Show Car Museum, as you can see from the first two pictures. Lots of famous cars there, everything from the Beverly Hillbillies truck, to the Trans Am from "Smokey and The Bandit". George Barris created all these cars and he has this museum in Gatlinburg. Pretty cool place, but then I am a car freak.

Stayed in a nice little cabin up in the hills, went to Dixie Stampede, and just had a great ole time.

Beauty Queen, Well Almost

Saturday night was a new experience for me. My daughter was in the Miss Crossville pageant at the school. Now I grew up in a house full of boys, so my beauty pageant experience was a little thin. But look at her! We came in 2nd place, or, as they like to call it in the pageant world, First Alternate. Isn't she just beautiful! Good thing for us she takes after her Mom.

Thoughts of Spring

Sunset in Navarre Beach, Florida

I'm fed up with the cold weather. Fed up. Don't want any more. Spring has been teasing us the last couple of weeks, and for one I'm ready for it. I have this picture as the background on my computer at work and it got me to thinking about Florida and warm weather, and I decided that I'm ready. Enough of Winter, bring on Spring and Summer. Spring training is going on right now for baseball, so that must mean it's just around the corner. I need some sunshine in the worst way to get out of these doldrums.

Way to go Lions!!

Congratulations to the Crossville Lions girls basketball team, class 3-A State Champions!!

I just added some video of their reception back at the school after winning it all in Birmingham. The Lady Lions are the second team from Crossville to win a state title, along with the 1986 football team. By the way, as a great Crossvillian Kevin Harper pointed out to me, Crossville is now unbeaten when playing for a state championship!!

Way to go coach Peppers and all the girls!

Snow, Again

It's snowing again!! Yes, I know the last post about snow stayed up here for about a year, but I promise to keep up to date this time around. Check out the video I shot of snow falling this morning near Shiloh Farms outside of Albertville. This is the first time I've put video on the blog, so we'll see just how well it works. If this works, I'll try to start putting my video stories on the blog everyday, or at least when it's kind of interesting.

By the way, Go Crossville Lions!! The girls varsity basketball team will be playing for a state championship Thursday in Birmingham. It has been a while(1986) since little ole Crossville won a state championship in anything, so Go Lady Lions!!

Whoo Hooo! A New Update!!

This is a test. Just checking to see if anybody is still out there checking out this page. So, are you there? I've been trying the MySpace thing, and I think I'm getting out of it. I believe I just might go back to the blog thing. Oh, this is a picture of me at the Iron Bowl. Working hard, as you can see.

Let It Snow!!!!

This is the Winter Wonderland just outside Henagar

When you live in Alabama, nothing can shut down the world quicker than a little snow. It doesn't take much, just about an inch or two and everything is closed. And that is just about what we got here on Sand Mountain yesterday, an inch or two. The day started early, about 1:30am so we could get to Rainsville and meet up with the Sat truck for morning show coverage of the snow. Our show started 2 hours early at 3am, and we were on until 8am. There are times in this life when you just can't have enough clothes on and yesterday was one of those days. Three and four layers just wasn't enough and I don't think my toes thawed out until about noon today.
And if snow and ice aren't enough for one days work, we finished with the morning show and just as we were working on our "Kids Out of School and Playing In the Snow" story comes word of a church fire in Cherokee County to our east. No snowball fights for us, it's back to the real world of breaking news. Maybe next time....

Shula Gets a Job

This just in, according to ESPN, Mike Shula has been hired as quarterbacks coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars. You can read the whole story here, but seems Mikey-boy was down in Mobile for the Senior Bowl begging for a job when somehow Jacksonville hired him. That will help with the pay-out from Alabama as they can deduct whatever he gets from the buyout. Good luck Mike!!!

From Earth to 22,000 Miles and Back

Skylink 19

Here it is ladies and gentlemen, the brand new, fully refurbished Skylink 19. Our sat truck was taken out of service the first of December for a brand new chassis and paint job. Doesn't she look pretty? After 11 years of service she was definately due for a makeover. I can't wait for her to come out to Sand Mtn. for some breaking news story.

Sir, May I Take Your Order?

OK, OK, this is obviously not a real picture but dang if it aint funny. I think he is probably better suited for this job than for his last one. Just don't ask him what he suggests for dinner, you might be waiting a while before he can pick his choice. Shula's

Crimson Tide Head Coach Nick Saban

A.D. Mal Moore and President Robert Witt

Saban Works the Room

Well, its finally a done deal. Alabama has got 'em a football coach and it's Nick Saban. Once again I get to be in Tuscaloosa for the announcement of a new coach at Bama and finally I think they have got one who might just stay here a while. I know, lot's of people are saying he won't stay, he's stayed nowhere for long, I believe this time it's different. He's tried the NFL thing and didn't like it. He is at a great college with a long tradition of winning and commitment to winning. Great fans, not counting the chick who kissed him at the airport. So why not stay here til you are ready to hang up your whistle? I was very impressed by him at the press conference, he handled every question easily even the one from the Miami reporter. If you have ever been at a Mike Shula presser it was very easy to see the difference between the two men. Now, I'm not the doe-eyed fanatic who believes Coach Nick will have them in a BCS Bowl next year but I do think you will see a much different Alabama team this coming season. Give him a couple of years and they will be competing for the SEC championship. But please, stop with the St. Nick stuff! www.rolltide.com

CMT, Here I Come !!!

Director Jonathan Barbee

Lights, Camera, Action

Finally, something cool not involving death and destruction to report. Nashville came to Guntersville today. A production crew was in Guntersville shooting a music video for the Wayne Mills Band at Rockingham's, a local bar. The song is called "That's What Dancers Do", and the video should be out by late January. Word is that American Idol winner Taylor Hicks will appear in the video, although he wasn't in town today. Over 200 extras dancing and partying are in the video, but sadly I must report Yours Truly will not be seen on CMT anytime soon. Still, kinda fun to see behind the scenes at just what goes on in the making of a music video. By the way, when you see the video and the singer Wayne Mills is shooting Jager shots, it's really just Coke. I guess you can't have the lead singer wasted.

There Isn't a Hell Hot Enough

The cute kid in the picture is Geontae Glass. G, as his family calls him, was 5 years old. Was, because G is dead, killed by his Mom and her boyfriend. It is actually pretty hard for me to type right now because I am just so angry. G was in kindergarten, a smart kid who loved hugs and going fishing. G is now having an autopsy done on him to determine the manner of his untimely death.

This story started out as a stolen car with a kid asleep in the backseat. An Amber Alert is issued, police all over the state on the lookout for the stolen car, helicopters are brought in to scour the area. But according to police, mom's story started breaking down as the day wore on. Then about 1am this morning, police find the car with G inside, hidden in the trunk, dead. Now, mom and boyfriend are in jail, charged in G's murder. Seems it was all a hoax, a story made up to hide the fact that the people meant to care for a child are actually the ones who killed him. And why did he die? Police say it looks like the boyfriend beat little G for bringing home a bad report card. A bad report card in kindergarten. Just how bad could it have been to merit this kind of punishment? Not coloring in the lines? Staying awake during nap time?

I'm sorry, but I have a 5 year old and this hits very close to home for me. This is the bad part of this job, that you get to see the nasty underbelly of our society. As the title reads, I just don't think there is a Hell hot enough for someone who could do this to a child. Right now I want to be home hugging my kids and thanking the Good Lord for blessing me with such a wonderful, loving family. Unfortunately I am still at work, staying late to put together a story for the 10pm news, my third package of the day. Rest in peace, G. You deserve it.

Shula Sacked

Alabama Athletic Director Mal Moore

Interim Head Coach Joe Kines

My Monday started around 2:15am. That's when my cell phone went off with an incoming text message. Through eyes still half asleep I read these words: "Shula Fired!!". Not quite sure if I was dreaming, I checked my phone again and again. Those words still jumped out at me, "Shula Fired!!". Thanks again to the person that sent me that message, I'll keep your name a secret but you know who you are. So I call the TV station and tell the overnight producer the news. "Check it out, but my source is pretty darn good.", I say.

Fast forward several hours and lo and behold, I find myself in Tuscaloosa for the press conference officially announcing the firing of Mike Shula. Over the years, I have been lucky enough to be there for the hiring, firing or resigning of Alabama's coaches from Gene Stallings to Mr. Shula. So that's five coaches in my relatively short TV career. And this time, I'm not that upset by the leaving. From my last post I'm sure you were able to figure out I was not that big a Mike Shula fan. As everyone says, a nice guy, but not head coaching material. To those that say it looks bad for the university to run through this many coaches in such a short time: you are correct. But should we stay with a guy as coach just because he is nice? 'Fraid not. So, one short press conference later and I'm working on my 6th coach at Alabama. Can't wait until that presser.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you. Luckily, I am off work this Thanksgiving, so I will be home eating myself sick and watching football. Oh, and frying a turkey for the family so pray there is no need for the fire department at our festivities this year. Eat lots of turkey and see you Friday.

Iron Bowl 2006; or Man, This Stinks!!

Gotta love the thumb turkey!!!

Kudos to all you Aubies out there. You once again managed to ruin my Iron Bowl weekend. Although I can't give you all the credit or blame. I have to blame the coaching staff at the University of Alabama. Game after game I've been to this season, and I've been to almost all of them, I have watched the team fall apart. Yes, I know Bama is a young team, but I have to put this debacle of a season squarely on the shoulders of Mike Shula. Someone sent me these pictures and I thought I would share them with you. I especially like the one of Bear wearing a bag on his head, it kinda tells the whole story. Yes, I am an Alabama fan. Yes, I get to go to the games and stand on the sideline while covering the games for my station. Does that make me an expert on football? By no means, but I do think it gives me the ability to talk about this with some experience. Mike Shula may very well be a nice man, a good guy, but he appears to have about as much leadership ability as a rock. And unfortunately about the same amount of play calling talent as the aforementioned stone. Darby up the middle, again? And again? And again? The poor guy has 24 yards on 25 carries all day and you're giving it to him up the middle one the 2 yard line? With the other team in a goal line defense, 8 men on the line? Please. Their offense is way too vanilla, no imagination. None. Unfortunately, it's not just boring it hurts the team. Stalling's offense was boring, but he won a National Championship. Now I'm praying for the Liberty over the Independence Bowl. Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

Sandmtnphotog Hanging With the Big Dog

Know it's been a while since the last post, but honestly we just haven't had anything that exciting and blogworthy lately. But thanks to my friend John Chumley, I now have this great picture of Governor Bob Riley with Carson and myself. All political stuff aside, Governor Riley is a very nice man. He even gave me a pin and a coin to give to Forrest, which really tickled the kid. Now everytime a Riley commercial comes on he says "There is my friend Bob Riley". May have a future governor right there in my own house.

All I Want For Christmas.......

Now it's a fact of nature that we all get older. Every day. And there is nothing you can do about it. But if you really want to get older in a hurry just have children. Nothing is guaranteed to make you feel older than your children growing up. And this past week we took another step down that road when Jemma lost her first tooth. It had been loose for a couple of weeks, and it popped out while she was at school. Now as excited as she was about the prospects of a visit from the Tooth Fairy, ole Dad was kinda sad about the whole thing. Daddy's little girls is growing up. Today it was a tooth, what will tomorrow bring? Boys calling the house? Her first date? I don't think I'm ready for all this. And for the record boys, Jemma won't be available for dates until 2021. She will be 20 then and maybe I can handle it. Until then, I'm changing our phone number.