Roll & Rock:

Fall Classic: Football Showdown

All good things come to an end.

Like, October and...football season.

This season was very bittersweet as it was my last year to be able to coach Jackson.

This...coupled with the fact that he broke his leg made it a tough one emotionally.

His team played great though...all season!

Yesterday, we found ourselves once again in the state playoffs.

We were facing the Smyrna Bulldogs...who we had upset earlier in the season and had broken their undefeated streak.

They definitely wanted this re-match. This time, for all the marbles...and a shot at the state championship.

Coach Eric tried to motivate the boys before the game by holding up the medal that is given to the losers as a consolation prize. He asked them if they'd rather have a championship trophy...or the medal.

Here is Jackson with his pal (and our star running back) DeOndre McClain. He and Jackson were the QB/RB tandem that took us to the state championship last year. Jackson's injury this year broke up their tandem but not their friendship.

The weigh-ins before the game are a bit of a trip. The two opposing teams stand next to each other as each team weighs in to make sure that ball carriers are within league weight limits. It is always a stare-down before a game. Note the the Smyrna team's expressions. They were still smarting from their prior loss to us and they had revenge on their minds (and faces!).

Not only that, but they were also decidedly bigger than us.

Yes, that's a pickle that Jackson is eating. Even he is questioning his choice of morning concession stand fare.

So...what happened?

The score was tied 19-19 with 1:50 left in the 4th quarter.

We were 4th and goal on their 1-yd. line.

They held us...and then came back up the field and scored in the final seconds of game.

We lost in a heartbreaker.

Smyrna will go on to the state semi-finals. I tip my hat...they outplayed us.

We ended up with the medal after all...and not the trophy

Our season is over.

More than anything else this season, I enjoyed getting to know the kids on the team. Maybe one day you will hear DeOndre McClain's name. One never knows. Regardless, I will always cherish these memories.

Now, bring on Halloween...and the rest of the World Series!

Thrill Kill: Roger Clemens

The Roger Clemens/Mitchell Report steroid hearing just ended about 15 minutes ago.

I was watching it on ESPN. (The whole thing. Yeah, I know...I'm a freak!)

As soon as they cut away, one ESPN commentator gleefully commented that 6 FBI agents were in attendance, along with special agent, Jeff Novitsky from the IRS—who apparently is also all about the Barry Bonds case.

My takeaway from this commentary was that—if Congress can't take down Clemens—then the IRS will.

Is this the message?...that you will be punished if you make the government look bad?

Inquiring minds want to know.

Henry Waxman's apology to Brian McNamee was very interesting.

Stand By Your Man? Hmmm...

Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds.

Great players tainted by inconclusive innuendo.

A sad day for baseball.

Next week, Little League starts for my sons.

I can't wait.

béisbol been barry barry good to me!

P.S. Who is this IRS Special Agent Jeff Novitsky?...and what is his deal?

Democrat Bats: Against Baseball?

I'm watching the Roger Clemens congressional hearings regarding steroid use in baseball.

It's fascinating how the Democrats and Republicans are split almost exactly along partisan lines.

The Democrats are attacking Roger Clemens.

The Republicans are attacking Brian McNamee.

Very interesting.

P.S. Who is Brian Ecko?...and has he considered branding himself with an asterisk?

Football Crunk: Prophetic Junk

Wow! Do I stink at predicting football!

Just a week ago, I had confidently predicted that the Colts would face the Seahawks in the Super Bowl.

Guess not.

Sports predictions are decidedly not my gift.

In fact—on the very pages of this blog—I had soundly messed up predicting my son’s youth football championship with all sorts of nostalgic tomfoolery.

It was just over two months that the Franklin Cowboys were defeated by the Brentwood Blaze in the TYFA State Championship.

Today, I received some footage from that grueling match.

There weren’t many highlights on our end.

But I had wanted to get this footage for some time, as there was one play in this game that summed up my son’s football season in a word.

Tenacity.

It was 4th and 7.

It was the second half and we were entering the do-or-die zone.

We decided to go for it on fourth down. We had to.

The call was a short pass to the tight end.

But somewhere in Jackson’s stubborn little head—he decided that it would be a QB sneak.

He didn’t even pump fake a pass but ran straight for the outside.

It’s not that this is such an amazing run.

But this one play stands out in my mind as Jackson literally wills himself to a first down.

Much to the detriment of several Brentwood defenders.

Yes—just went you thought that proud Papa Bear had hibernated for the winter.

Back I come with my final football nugget of parental pride.

What I love most is when the announcer says “His second effort got him there…Biedebach refused to go down.”

Sometime we can learn from our kids.

Sometimes...our second effort can get us there.

That’s good advice.

Thanks, son!

I won’t even try to predict the Super Bowl.

But…

There is one thing I’ve been good at predicting.

The music business.

Time to get back on the horse.

To be continued….