Hello, our name is Crittenden County, and we're football-aholics.
Tonight's the official kick-off of Crittenden County's inaugural season as a member of Class "AA". (So, do the football-aholics and the "Hello, our name is..." things make more sense now? AA? Might not be the best thing to joke about, but I was born without that filter in the brain that's supposed to stop inappropriate comments from coming out of my mouth, or from my fingers as I type on this blog.)
Tonight: Crittenden Co. vs. Hopkins Central. Rockets (plural) vs. Storm (singular). Advantage: Rockets. (Just a numbers game. By definition, there's more of them.) (Of course, it could depend on what kind of Storm they are. If they're just a regular thunderstorm, I like our chances. A tornado or a hurricane? I still like our chances, but it makes it more interesting. Maybe they kept it vague so that they can have different storms each year, according to their team's talent level. See, Paducah Tilghman is always "Tornado", and they're good pretty much every year.)
Press Box news:
New sound system! Just installed this past week, hopefully the speakers can be mounted this afternoon. But if they're not, I think you'll find that they still sound better than the old horn speakers that we've had for the past 30+ years.
Peyton Porter has moved on! We'll miss him tremendously, but wish him well on his current endeavor: mascot for...you guessed it...the Hopkins Central Storm. So while its true that he's a Benedict Arnold, we will not hold it against him for a few reasons. 1) He's my nephew, so any ill talk of his move will be met by an evil glare from me, and quite possibly a glimpse at my rarely-seen "mean side". 2) He's actually a student at Hopkins Central, so it just makes sense that he gets involved with their program in some fashion. 3) He's my nephew, so seriously: Talk bad about him and his turncoat-personality, and I'll go all "guy-from-The Wire-that-wears-glasses-and-is-from-New-York" up in here. If you haven't seen 'The Wire', then just trust me. You don't want that.
New pre-game music playlist this year! The three of you that regularly check this blog, please let me know what you think about it! We've tweaked the song-picking philosophy a bit this year, and I'd love to hear some honest assessments. Also, some songs were added simply because they sound very good on this new PA system.
That's all for now! See you tonight at "The Pit", and if you can't be there be sure to listen to the "Zac, Wompie, and Crabtree Radio Tyme" live streaming broadcast on the WMJL 102.7 website.
Go Rockets!
I.P.A. (formerly I Like Physics) (formerly The Road)
Friday, August 26, 2011
Saturday, October 30, 2010
7-3. Proud of the Rockets.
Tough loss to Murray tonight, made even tougher by the loss of Cozart for the season. And for the first time since last October, the Rockets lose a game after hearing our pre-game music.
You'll excuse me if I'm a little down tonight. Trying to sort things out.
We'll regroup and welcome Bethlehem to Marion next Friday night, and hopefully send them home with an "L". If they need it, we'll guide their way home with a star.
Or they can crash here, because we DO have room in the Inn.
HUGE props to Erin McDonald for singing the National Anthem! It was awesome.
And HUGE props to Devin Belt for nailing the half-time State Farm extra-point attempt.
Other than that, all I can say is: myriad, dirigible, fur rat, effervescence, and mizzle.
Oh, and Bob. He played tonight.
You'll excuse me if I'm a little down tonight. Trying to sort things out.
We'll regroup and welcome Bethlehem to Marion next Friday night, and hopefully send them home with an "L". If they need it, we'll guide their way home with a star.
Or they can crash here, because we DO have room in the Inn.
HUGE props to Erin McDonald for singing the National Anthem! It was awesome.
And HUGE props to Devin Belt for nailing the half-time State Farm extra-point attempt.
Other than that, all I can say is: myriad, dirigible, fur rat, effervescence, and mizzle.
Oh, and Bob. He played tonight.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Friday, October 15, 2010
Girls, Girls, Girls (ala Vince Neil, aka Motley Crue)
One of the many perks of being a PA guy is that you often get asked to announce other events that take place at the stadium. This week, I was absolutely blown away by the skills on display from the five teams that participated in "Girl Iron Glory", the first of hopefully many powder puff tournaments to benefit Breast cancer awareness. I'll be honest here and put myself out there to be scorned: I had very low expectations. And when I say "low", I'm talking pembroke welsh corgi low, as in barely off the ground. (Look at a picture of a pembroke welsh corgi and you'll know what I'm talking about.)
I've never had so much fun being proved wrong. Those girls could FLAT OUT PLAY!!! Quarterbacks with cannons for arms, receivers making tremendous catches in traffic, catches being made off of tipped passes, and SPEED!!!
I'll have to admit something here that really stings my pride. I don't think the pre-game music would have affected their play in any way whatsoever. I probably could've played Bon Iver's entire catalog and those girls still would have rocked Rocket Stadium.
The event began with a defensive battle Tuesday night between the Health Quest team and Power Tuff, a game that eventually had to be completed Thursday night. And STILL the teams couldn't outsmart each other enough to take the win, so it came down to Lady Luck. The Coin Toss gave the victory to Health Quest.
The next game featured the G.R.I.T.S. team sponsored by Conrad's Food Store taking on the Farmer's Bank Brawlers. The G.R.I.T.S. were on fire. They probably could have scored against any defense with their precision passes and great catches. They took the "W", and somehow (still not sure if it was a coin toss or a point spread thing) the Brawlers were eliminated from the event and Power Tuff had the honor of trying to stop the G.R.I.T.S. potent offense.
But before that could happen, the BFFs (Breast Friends Forever....awesome team name!) had to take on Health Quest for a spot in the championship game. The HQers, coached by Dr. Johnny Newcom, prevailed in an exciting game, and the BFFs held their heads high because of the list of names on their shirts.
Then came the game of the night. G.R.I.T.S. vs. Power Tuff. I HOPE and PRAY that somebody got a film of this game, because there were some truly amazing plays made by both teams! It came down to the final possession, and Power Tuff held on to take the 14-8 victory.
It was late, it was cold, many fans decided it was time to head home, but still two teams took to the field to decide the champion of the First Annual Girl Iron Glory. Health Quest vs. Power Tuff. You've gotta give a lot of credit to the Power Tuff team; playing ONE game would take its toll on a player, even if she's in good shape, yet there they were playing back-to-back games with all the marbles on the line. I won't pretend to know what happened or lay blame or make excuses or whatever, but one could say that Power Tuff simply ran out of gas. The well-rested Health Quest squad took advantage of that and brought home the gold with a 26-0 shut-out.
I won't lie, and I won't pretend to be something I'm not: I was pulling for Health Quest. Why? For starters, my wife was on that team, so if I rooted against them my internet-time would probably be taken away. Also, my cousin Lee Anna was on that team. She married one of my best friends. The team was coached by one of my best friends. And another of my best friends, the coach's wife, was on that team. So I had a rooting interest. I can only hope that that interest didn't make itself obvious in the announcing. If so, I apologize.
EVERY team, EVERY player, EVERY coach, EVERY referee, EVERY volunteer helper....deserves tremendous kudos for the week's activities. In the booth, I was impressed by the professionalism exhibited by the teams as they brought their rosters and team music up. I was impressed by the obvious realization on display that points on the board didn't matter; some teams won and lost their games, but all thoughts were on those who are fighting the REAL battles right now against humanity's rival: Cancer. There's not many things that I can say I hate. I CAN say, without a doubt, that I HATE cancer.
So take that, Cancer. Crittenden County, with a little help from friends across the border, came together and proved to you that while you may have the upper-hand at times, we WILL NOT go down without a fight. Friday night, when the Rockets are taking on Fulton City, a list of names will be read over the loud-speaker of TRUE warriors, those who have stared down cancer and smacked it in its face, and those who fought to the bitter end and left their loved ones to carry their torch. And for those casualties of war that we've lost over the years....know this: Vengeance will be ours. Enjoy your victories now, Cancer, because one day, soon, due to events like this, you'll be history.
Every 69 seconds, somebody, somewhere, succombs to breast cancer. Think about that for a bit. In fact, think about it for 69 seconds. That's what we're up against. 20 minute halves, 10 minute half-times, 5 minutes between games, storm delays that kept one game from ending for two days...all of that time pales in comparison to those 69 seconds.
Way to go, Girls. Let's do it again next year!
I've never had so much fun being proved wrong. Those girls could FLAT OUT PLAY!!! Quarterbacks with cannons for arms, receivers making tremendous catches in traffic, catches being made off of tipped passes, and SPEED!!!
I'll have to admit something here that really stings my pride. I don't think the pre-game music would have affected their play in any way whatsoever. I probably could've played Bon Iver's entire catalog and those girls still would have rocked Rocket Stadium.
The event began with a defensive battle Tuesday night between the Health Quest team and Power Tuff, a game that eventually had to be completed Thursday night. And STILL the teams couldn't outsmart each other enough to take the win, so it came down to Lady Luck. The Coin Toss gave the victory to Health Quest.
The next game featured the G.R.I.T.S. team sponsored by Conrad's Food Store taking on the Farmer's Bank Brawlers. The G.R.I.T.S. were on fire. They probably could have scored against any defense with their precision passes and great catches. They took the "W", and somehow (still not sure if it was a coin toss or a point spread thing) the Brawlers were eliminated from the event and Power Tuff had the honor of trying to stop the G.R.I.T.S. potent offense.
But before that could happen, the BFFs (Breast Friends Forever....awesome team name!) had to take on Health Quest for a spot in the championship game. The HQers, coached by Dr. Johnny Newcom, prevailed in an exciting game, and the BFFs held their heads high because of the list of names on their shirts.
Then came the game of the night. G.R.I.T.S. vs. Power Tuff. I HOPE and PRAY that somebody got a film of this game, because there were some truly amazing plays made by both teams! It came down to the final possession, and Power Tuff held on to take the 14-8 victory.
It was late, it was cold, many fans decided it was time to head home, but still two teams took to the field to decide the champion of the First Annual Girl Iron Glory. Health Quest vs. Power Tuff. You've gotta give a lot of credit to the Power Tuff team; playing ONE game would take its toll on a player, even if she's in good shape, yet there they were playing back-to-back games with all the marbles on the line. I won't pretend to know what happened or lay blame or make excuses or whatever, but one could say that Power Tuff simply ran out of gas. The well-rested Health Quest squad took advantage of that and brought home the gold with a 26-0 shut-out.
I won't lie, and I won't pretend to be something I'm not: I was pulling for Health Quest. Why? For starters, my wife was on that team, so if I rooted against them my internet-time would probably be taken away. Also, my cousin Lee Anna was on that team. She married one of my best friends. The team was coached by one of my best friends. And another of my best friends, the coach's wife, was on that team. So I had a rooting interest. I can only hope that that interest didn't make itself obvious in the announcing. If so, I apologize.
EVERY team, EVERY player, EVERY coach, EVERY referee, EVERY volunteer helper....deserves tremendous kudos for the week's activities. In the booth, I was impressed by the professionalism exhibited by the teams as they brought their rosters and team music up. I was impressed by the obvious realization on display that points on the board didn't matter; some teams won and lost their games, but all thoughts were on those who are fighting the REAL battles right now against humanity's rival: Cancer. There's not many things that I can say I hate. I CAN say, without a doubt, that I HATE cancer.
So take that, Cancer. Crittenden County, with a little help from friends across the border, came together and proved to you that while you may have the upper-hand at times, we WILL NOT go down without a fight. Friday night, when the Rockets are taking on Fulton City, a list of names will be read over the loud-speaker of TRUE warriors, those who have stared down cancer and smacked it in its face, and those who fought to the bitter end and left their loved ones to carry their torch. And for those casualties of war that we've lost over the years....know this: Vengeance will be ours. Enjoy your victories now, Cancer, because one day, soon, due to events like this, you'll be history.
Every 69 seconds, somebody, somewhere, succombs to breast cancer. Think about that for a bit. In fact, think about it for 69 seconds. That's what we're up against. 20 minute halves, 10 minute half-times, 5 minutes between games, storm delays that kept one game from ending for two days...all of that time pales in comparison to those 69 seconds.
Way to go, Girls. Let's do it again next year!
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Science, Football, and Coronations.
On nights that the Rockets don't get to hear our pre-game music, the offense averages 26.25 points and the defense gives up 20.5 points.
On nights that the Rockets DO get to hear our pre-game music, the offense averages 47.5 points and the defense gives up 13 points.
You do the math. (Or, just read it again because I've already done the math.)
Our music almost doubles the offenses production and allows the defense to give up one fewer touchdown.
Also, on nights that our pre-game music is heard, there's a 1 in 2 chance that Jessi Hodge will be crowned Homecoming Queen. Same for Andrew Freeman. 1 in 2 chance that he'll be crowned Homecoming King.
On a serious note, congrats Rockets on a great win last night (Ballard was a tough team), and congrats to Jessi and Andrew. And congrats to Matthew Hardin for recording his second career quad-spot tackle. (That's FOUR defensive players recognized, by name, for making a tackle. That's usually just a "plethora".) And special recognition needs to be given to Corey Crider, who managed to make it through a whole game in the press box without something disastrous happening.
And for a moment that made me especially proud, Aaron Owen applied what he's learned in physics so far this year to apply a force causing acceleration, which resulted in picture-perfect projectile motion as the football sailed through the uprights.
It was a "wow" night all around.
On nights that the Rockets DO get to hear our pre-game music, the offense averages 47.5 points and the defense gives up 13 points.
You do the math. (Or, just read it again because I've already done the math.)
Our music almost doubles the offenses production and allows the defense to give up one fewer touchdown.
Also, on nights that our pre-game music is heard, there's a 1 in 2 chance that Jessi Hodge will be crowned Homecoming Queen. Same for Andrew Freeman. 1 in 2 chance that he'll be crowned Homecoming King.
On a serious note, congrats Rockets on a great win last night (Ballard was a tough team), and congrats to Jessi and Andrew. And congrats to Matthew Hardin for recording his second career quad-spot tackle. (That's FOUR defensive players recognized, by name, for making a tackle. That's usually just a "plethora".) And special recognition needs to be given to Corey Crider, who managed to make it through a whole game in the press box without something disastrous happening.
And for a moment that made me especially proud, Aaron Owen applied what he's learned in physics so far this year to apply a force causing acceleration, which resulted in picture-perfect projectile motion as the football sailed through the uprights.
It was a "wow" night all around.
More Science as it pertains to Rocket Football
The song "Tweezer: Reprise", as performed by Phish, and played by CCHS's PA crew directly prior to kick-off, results in a 50% chance of the opening kick-off being returned for a touchdown. That's good news. I think I'll keep on doing that.
Be back later with more reasons why our playlist is the best. Main reason: Rockets are undefeated on nights when they hear our songs, but have lost a game on nights when they don't hear our songs. It doesn't take a "Rocket" scientist (pun) to deduce that our songs are the main reason why we play better.
Be back later with more reasons why our playlist is the best. Main reason: Rockets are undefeated on nights when they hear our songs, but have lost a game on nights when they don't hear our songs. It doesn't take a "Rocket" scientist (pun) to deduce that our songs are the main reason why we play better.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Poll Closed
Results are in....Come to "The Pit" tonight and you'll hear the Foo Fighters sing "In Your Honor". (But you'd better get there early because it's homecoming. The playlist will have to be cut short to make way for the festivities.)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)