Is it just me, or do others long for the days of the no-nonsense gritty play calling of Frank Gifford, Howard Cosell, and Don Meredith when Monday Night Football was an ABC staple?

Those were the days….when the only celebrities were the ones in the game. Back then, nobody cared about the gridiron opinions of movie stars and the only commentary fans needed was analysis of play calling, penalties, and drives down the field. And Gifford, Cosell and Meredith provided exactly that.

But what was once football purity has devolved into an ESPN parade of celebrities and movie stars in the announcer’s booth, most of whom can’t pass up the opportunity to comment on political issues, and indeed are encouraged to do so by “color” commentator, Tony Kornheiser.

ESPN should realize that if football fans wanted political commentary, they’d tune into a news channel. If fans wanted to see celebrities and movie stars, they’d tune into E-News, or go rent a movie.

Fans are watching Monday Night Football, not Monday Night Celebrity Parade. Would someone just tell Tony Kornheiser that he isn’t there to entertain us or to find entertainers to entertain us? We just want to watch football. And if they want to comment on the plays and the players (minus social editorializing) then we’ll listen. Otherwise, Kornheiser just needs to shut the heck up.

Better yet, ESPN could simply replace Kornheiser with one of the best commentators in the business, Pam Ward, who can be found giving play by play in the ESPN2 announcer’s booth during Saturday Big 10 college games.

Pam Ward isn’t a cute young chick on the sidelines asking stressed coaches idiotic questions… “Coach what does your defense need to do in the second half to stop the other team’s running game?” Duh.

Pam Ward is a mature woman who knows her football, and is a pleasure to listen to. Ward can call plays on the same par as the Monday Night crew from the 70’s, and Kornheiser isn’t even in her league (pardon the pun).

For now, I’ll still watch ESPN Monday Night Football. But as long as Kornheiser is in the booth, the mute button will be on for sure.

Related article HERE,

When tragedy strikes, I am reminded of the words of my friend, Frank Zitzman, who lost his 17 year old son, Troy, in a motorcycle accident in June, 2004. I have posted several times over the past year Frank’s letter to the editor of his local newspaper in which Frank responded to a reader’s complaint of the newspaper showing photographs of Troy’s mangled motorcycle at the accident scene.

I pray that you find comfort in Frank’s words. Frank has a hope that is enduring, because it is built upon the One Who endured - all because of His great love for us.

From NumbersUSA

THIS IS A SHOW-DOWN MORNING, FRIENDS.

The vote on amnesty may be before noon.

I have a simple paragraph you can use on the phone if you have never called a Senate office. It is so easy.

“Hi, my name is xmxmxm xmxmxmx. I am calling about S. 2205, the DREAM Act amnesty. I urge the Senator to vote NO on cloture today and kill this amnesty. Thank you.”

It is going to take a lot of first-timers to pull out a victory when the Senate is expected to vote by mid-day. How about calling and saying something like:

“I would like for you to tell Senator xmxmxmxm that giving the DREAM Act amnesty to 2.1 million illegal aliens will send the wrong message to the rest of the world. Ask him to please vote NO on cloture on S. 2205. We don’t need to entice a larger wave of illegal immigration.”

Or this:

“There should be no amnesty of any kind until Congress passes laws to stop the hiring of illegal foreign workers. S. 2205 would just invite a lot more illegal aliens to come. Please ask Sen. xmxmxm to vote NO on the DREAM Act amnesty.”

CAN YOU MOVE A VOTE AND STOP THE AMNESTY THIS MORNING?

Assistant Senate Majority Leader Durbin (D-Ill.) said he would be working tonight to find the final YES votes to have the 60 needed to pass his DREAM Act amnesty later this morning.

I don’t know what he found.

But even if he did go to bed with 60 votes, you can knock him back to 59 (or lower) and stop this amnesty if collectively you swamp the Senate offices with phone calls between 7 a.m. EDT and the vote which could come as early as 11 a.m.

PHONE SENATE SWITCHBOARD AT:
202-224-3121

TARGET THESE DEMOCRATIC SENATORS UP FOR RE-ELECTION NEXT YEAR

Baucus (D-MT)
Biden (D-DE)
Durbin (D-IL)

Harkin (D-IA)
Johnson (D-SD)
Kerry (D-MA)

Landrieu (D-LA) 202-224-5824
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Levin (D-MI)

Pryor (D-AR)
Reed (D-RI)
Rockefeller (D-WV)
Startling numbers HERE

A new movie is being released on October 26 that you may not want to miss. Details HERE.

In 1811, the State of Louisiana established the system of elective Police Juries to serve as the primary governing body for a parish. The general responsibility of the Police Jury is to levy the necessary taxes and administer the spending of these tax dollars for many parish operations. The authority of the Police Jury extends to all territory in the Parish which lies outside of an incorporated city, town, or village. Some responsibilities of the Police Jury apply to citizens who reside within incorporated areas of the Parish as well (such as within the city limits of Bossier City).

Although some parishes, such as Caddo, operate under a Parish Commission governing body, the vast majority of Louisiana parishes, including Bossier Parish, operate under the Police Jury system.

Included among the authority of a Police Jury, is the function of adopting ordinances and zoning regulations with regard to use of property, both public and private within the parish.

Decisions made by the Police Jury directly impact homes, neighborhoods and families.

For example, the Bossier Police Jury voted earlier this year to allow the rezoning of a tract of land on Airline Drive at Le Oaks (in North Bossier) paving the way for a large apartment complex to be built virtually in the back yards of the homeowners of Le Oaks Estates. (Photo taken from the back yard of a family home in Stockwell Place which suffered the same fate as Le Oaks, only at the hands of the Bossier City Council.)

The homeowners of Le Oaks presented compelling data arguing against placing the apartment in that particular location. The data included evidence that the complex would triple the traffic on an already tiny street, negatively impact drainage on the same tiny street which already has virtually no drainage, and pose a safety risk for neighborhood children. All resident arguments were backed up with empirical data. VTR covered the Police Jury actions on this matter in multiple posts HERE.

In the end, the Police Jury voted against the homeowners of Le Oaks Estates. See Page 2 of the minutes here.

Police Jurors who voted AGAINST the homeowners of Le Oaks who are running with opposition this Saturday are HENRY MITCHELL, WINFRED JOHNSTON, and JEROME DARBY.

As if to tell the public that their collective voices are of no effect, the Police Jury Attorney, Patrick Jackson, was quoted in the Shreveport Times back in March, 2007, as follows:

“There’s a misconception by the public, says Jackson.

“The public has this idea that if they demand something loud enough or strong enough from their elected officials, it should be done,” Jackson said. “But the jury can’t just arbitrarily tell people what they can and can’t do with their property. There’s laws and if the laws are followed the way they’re set up, then property owners can do what they want with it. If a resident doesn’t want commerce to happen around them, the easiest solution is to buy up the land and take it out of commerce.”

This is not only Police Jury Parish Attorney Patrick Jackson’s opinion. It is the opinion of his employers, incumbent members of the Bossier Parish Police Jury, who sit in silence as unelected and unaccountable Patrick Jackson makes such incredible and dictatorial statements to the local media.

On Saturday, please vote for change. It won’t be enough to return control of the Police Jury back to the people. But it will be a much needed and long over due beginning.

The Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana (PAR) has published a detailed analysis of each constitutional amendment which will be on the ballot for the Oct. 20 election. HERE

Remember, you may vote EARLY beginning Saturday October 6 through Saturday October 13, at the courthouse in Benton.