The past few weeks, I had been realizing that the "new" music I had been getting wasn't really so new at all. The last four CD's I've downloaded have been by (in order) Green Day, Steve Earle, Rob Thomas, and Pearl Jam. Great music, no doubt; anyone who's read my tweets or Facebook statuses recently knows how much I've enjoyed listening to these albums, especially Green Day's 21st Century Breakdown, (an INSTANT classic, in my opinion) and Pearl Jam's Backspacer, by far their best studio effort since 1998's Yield. But the problem was that I realized I hadn't really heard or purchased any music by a newer band in the last three or four years.
The last round of "new" bands I really got into was a few years ago, when I went crazy on nu-metal and the last vestiges of grunge clone bands like Seether, Three Days Grace, Saliva, Breaking Benjamin and Disturbed. This bothered me, mainly because I always swore that I would never, ever, turn into one of those old farts that stopped exploring new music. The problem is, MTV doesn't play videos at all anymore, Nashville has very few choices in rock radio, and I had virtually stopped reading music publications. The only place I ever hear any newer music is on late-nite TV, and to be honest I hadn't heard much lately that was memorable enough to really etch itself into my psyche. Was I now doomed to repeat the sins of the generations that came before, who one day decided that all music that came out after a certain era was crap? I was determined NOT to make this so!
So via the web, mostly from suggestions and mentions by friends on Twitter, I went in search of new music. I pulled together samples of friends' mp3 collections, listened to samples on iTunes and Amazon, and searched playlist.com and blip.fm. I scoured every available source for some new music that would move me the way Led Zeppelin, Kiss, Motley Crue, Metallica and Pearl Jam (along with countless other bands) had done before. What I found was interesting, to say the least. Here are the bands I checked out, and my resulting opinions of each:
Kings of Leon: I had heard these guys a few times on the radio. They are a local Nashville band, so they do get love on radio here a little bit. Though not my favorite out of the bands I checked out, I do like them. "California Waiting" is a freaking AWESOME song. The rest of the stuff I heard was hit-and-miss, the lazy vocal style not really appealing to me on a consistent basis, but definitely worth getting on iTunes and downloading some selected songs. Overall: good, decent, listenable rock and roll.
Silversun Pickups: this band took some getting used to. The way a lot of their songs start out, it kind of sounds like they are going to start rocking the fuck out at any moment, but it rarely happens. Kind of a letdown, but as I listened to it more, I warmed up. Not bad. I'll keep listening and see what happens, I still haven't made up my mind completely.
Franz Ferdinand: I heard this band perform "No You Girls" on Letterman, and I liked it, so I decided to investigate further. Then I found out they had done the song "Take Me Out," which I had heard on pop radio, and I liked that one too, so I went even deeper. The verdict? Those are really the only two songs I could find that I liked. They remind me too much of an 80's New Wave band, and I never liked that kind of music much. I got those two songs, and for now, that's enough.
Animal Collective: I read about this band in Rolling Stone, as I recall in a glowing album review. Words can't express my disappointment with this group. Really, I've been listening to rock and pop music since I was four or five years old, and this is some of the most unappealing, boring crap I've ever heard. I'm not sure what this is supposed to be. Music to slit your wrists by?? Total and complete garbage. I'm sorry, if you like this band that's your right, but I don't get this at all!
Cage the Elephant: YAHTZEE! Finally, some good, driving, noisy rock and roll! That's what I'm talking about! I saw this band on Letterman too, and I had already downloaded their hit "There Ain't No Rest For The Wicked" a couple of months ago, and I remember the frantic, siezure-like stage antics of their lead singer, so I really wasn't sure what to expect from hearing more tracks. I'm pleased to announce that just about the entire CD is just as good! These guys are a nice blend of 60's blues-rock with just a bit of hip-hop and New Wave wierdness sprinkled in, and I fell totally in love with their sound. Bottom line? They ROCK, dude!! And that, to me, is what it's really all about!
So goes my new music experiment..so far. I plan on checking out some more new tunes in the very near future, I'll post my thoughts on those as time allows. I'm out for now.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Mortality Bites
Life has been so hectic the past several weeks, I hadn't noticed the calendar all that much. Oh, I look at the calendar 20-30 times a day; when you work in a manufacturing plant that produces dated goods, your professional life pretty much revolves around pack dates, ship dates and invoice dates. However, I normally just glance at it and find the date I am seeking to fill in a cell on a spreadsheet, insert to a document or write in an e-mail. I rarely stop and think about what the date is, what time of year it is, or how the dates in front of me will impact my life on a personal level.
But the other day, a co-worker reminded me - quite gleefully, I might add! - that I was going to be a "member of the club" soon. It took me a second, then I realized what she was talking about: I'd be turning 40 in a mere 7 days. And I had completely forgotten about that fact.
Not that it bothers me so much to turn 40. I still feel pretty good physically. I have an exceptional amount of energy for someone who rarely sleeps and exercises even more rarely (thanks caffeine!), and having a 4-year-old, and addictions rock music and video games keeps me young in spirit as well. I've heard people say that 30's the new 20, so maybe 40's the new 30 too.
I'm also happier now than I've ever been in my life. I have a great family, a good job, a beautiful home, a cheaper version of my dream car and money in the bank. More important than any of the material things, though, is my sense of comfort with myself. I don't have a lot of real friends outside of the confines of online social networking, and I'm fine with that. I'm too busy to spend any time with them anyway. I don't care what people think about me anymore, either; I wasted a lot of years stressing about pleasing others, but as long as my family and my boss are happy with me, then nothing else really matters.
But as I got to thinking more about this fast-approaching milestone, I realized that there was one thing that does, indeed, make me feel kind of old and depressed: all the good people I've known and loved in my life that haven't made it to this milestone with me.
Obviously, my parents are at the top of the list. Most of the 40-year-olds I know still have two living parents. But my folks were already in their 40's by the time I came along, and they were called home before I got to this point. I think about them every day, and I miss them badly every day. Not having them around, even to talk to via long distance on a Sunday night, has left a huge void in my life that I will never be able to fill.
Then, there are those really special friends I have lost, and like my parents, I think about them most every day. People like Gary Flintom, a friend and former bandmate whom I loved like a brother, who died after losing a brave battle with cancer several years ago; Caylon Roach, one of my best friends in high school, and one of the funniest people I've ever met in my life, who died suddenly of complications from sleep apnea; and Wesley Fish, one of the only people I ever hung out with for an extended period of time that I never once saw in a bad mood, which made it even harder to swallow the fact that he had taken his own life. Gary, Caylon and Wesley were people I was extremely close to at different points in my life, and I will always treasure the time I was able to spend with them.
And then there are those who simply passed through my life for short periods of time, but still managed to make an impact on me: Rocky Horton, Juan Munoz, Randy Smith, and Daryl Ritch, just to name a few. Though I would not call any of these guys anything more than acquaintances, I knew all of them, liked them, and they all died far too young.
So I realized that as I approach 40, the list of people I know who have died is rapidly growing, forcing me to confront my own mortality. As you get older, you begin to realize just how short our time on Earth really is. You've got to treasure every moment you have with your friends and family; we always say that, but sometimes life gets busy and we have to give ourselves a reality check to that fact. I want to watch my son grow up and have a family of his own, but there is no guarantee that I will be able to do that. So I'm making a conscious effort now to spend as much time with the people I love as I can. And I want to let every one of my friends know right now that I love each and every one of you and I'm a better person for having had you in my life. No matter that we may live thousands of miles apart, live completely different lifestyles or have vastly different worldviews; you guys ROCK!!
Happy Birthday to me!!
But the other day, a co-worker reminded me - quite gleefully, I might add! - that I was going to be a "member of the club" soon. It took me a second, then I realized what she was talking about: I'd be turning 40 in a mere 7 days. And I had completely forgotten about that fact.
Not that it bothers me so much to turn 40. I still feel pretty good physically. I have an exceptional amount of energy for someone who rarely sleeps and exercises even more rarely (thanks caffeine!), and having a 4-year-old, and addictions rock music and video games keeps me young in spirit as well. I've heard people say that 30's the new 20, so maybe 40's the new 30 too.
I'm also happier now than I've ever been in my life. I have a great family, a good job, a beautiful home, a cheaper version of my dream car and money in the bank. More important than any of the material things, though, is my sense of comfort with myself. I don't have a lot of real friends outside of the confines of online social networking, and I'm fine with that. I'm too busy to spend any time with them anyway. I don't care what people think about me anymore, either; I wasted a lot of years stressing about pleasing others, but as long as my family and my boss are happy with me, then nothing else really matters.
But as I got to thinking more about this fast-approaching milestone, I realized that there was one thing that does, indeed, make me feel kind of old and depressed: all the good people I've known and loved in my life that haven't made it to this milestone with me.
Obviously, my parents are at the top of the list. Most of the 40-year-olds I know still have two living parents. But my folks were already in their 40's by the time I came along, and they were called home before I got to this point. I think about them every day, and I miss them badly every day. Not having them around, even to talk to via long distance on a Sunday night, has left a huge void in my life that I will never be able to fill.
Then, there are those really special friends I have lost, and like my parents, I think about them most every day. People like Gary Flintom, a friend and former bandmate whom I loved like a brother, who died after losing a brave battle with cancer several years ago; Caylon Roach, one of my best friends in high school, and one of the funniest people I've ever met in my life, who died suddenly of complications from sleep apnea; and Wesley Fish, one of the only people I ever hung out with for an extended period of time that I never once saw in a bad mood, which made it even harder to swallow the fact that he had taken his own life. Gary, Caylon and Wesley were people I was extremely close to at different points in my life, and I will always treasure the time I was able to spend with them.
And then there are those who simply passed through my life for short periods of time, but still managed to make an impact on me: Rocky Horton, Juan Munoz, Randy Smith, and Daryl Ritch, just to name a few. Though I would not call any of these guys anything more than acquaintances, I knew all of them, liked them, and they all died far too young.
So I realized that as I approach 40, the list of people I know who have died is rapidly growing, forcing me to confront my own mortality. As you get older, you begin to realize just how short our time on Earth really is. You've got to treasure every moment you have with your friends and family; we always say that, but sometimes life gets busy and we have to give ourselves a reality check to that fact. I want to watch my son grow up and have a family of his own, but there is no guarantee that I will be able to do that. So I'm making a conscious effort now to spend as much time with the people I love as I can. And I want to let every one of my friends know right now that I love each and every one of you and I'm a better person for having had you in my life. No matter that we may live thousands of miles apart, live completely different lifestyles or have vastly different worldviews; you guys ROCK!!
Happy Birthday to me!!
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Murfreesboro Tornado
(I pulled this over from another blog of mine. This was originally posted on 4/12/09)
At around 12:30 PM on Good Friday, April 10, 2009, the city of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, a college town of just over 100,000 southeast of Nashville, was hit with a devastating EF-3 tornado. Most severely affected were the middle-class neighborhoods of Blackman and Ravenwood, on the northwest side of the city. To put this in perspective of the proximity to my home, I live in the southern tip of Smyrna, just north of Murfreesboro; in fact, I often joke that I "live in Smyrna, but I can walk out the back door and take a p*** in Murfreesboro!" In other words, the path of this terrible storm was literally just a few short miles from my home.
More than 40 people were injured, and two were killed: Kori Bryant, a young mother in her 20's, and her nine-week old daughter Olivia were found a short distance from their Ravenwood home, apparently having tried to get to their car to escape the storm (Olivia's body was found strapped into her car seat). The father is critically injured in a local hospital with a broken back and most likely will never walk again. Dozens of others sustained minor injuries, and the last I heard, there were still 4-5 people listed in critical condition.
Over 100 homes were either destroyed or heavily damaged. One 1,800-square-foot house was lifted into the air and dropped directly on top of a neighboring home. A brand-new office building was destroyed and semi trailers were flipped on their tops and sides in the NW Broad / Thompson Lane area. Hundred-year-old oak trees were reduced to mere kindling. Cars were tossed about like Matchbox toys, and power poles were snapped like toothpicks. It was a scene of utter chaos seldom seen in this area, and nothing like Middle Tennessee has experienced since the Gallatin (north of Nashville) tornado of 2006.
The entire area was shaken to its core, and that includes those of us lucky enough to be located out of the direct path of the storm. This hit a little too close to home for all of us in Rutherford County, no matter what part of it in which we live. Just about anyone who is lucky enough to call this place home will tell you, these are some of the absolute finest people you will ever meet, anywhere, and Murfreesboro is one of the best towns of its size in America. Having gotten to know these people, driven these streets and called this area home for the past four years, the events of Good Friday 2009 will forever haunt me.
But there has been a positive side to this tragedy as well. It has been totally amazing to me how this community has pulled together in the midst of this disaster. As one would expect, many, many victims were interviewed in the aftermath of the storm by local Nashville news stations, and I do not recall once - not ONCE - anyone bemoaning the loss of their material belongings. What I heard was gratitude, and a feeling that they were extremely fortunate to have not lost their families' and friends' lives to the storm. From the stories I have heard, volunteers were in the areas almost immediately after the storm was over, helping the victims to salvage what they could from their demolished homes. Despite warnings from the Murfreesboro police to be wary of profiteers and looters, and to the general public to refrain from sightseeing, it has turned out that most of the traffic streaming into the Boro has not been crooks or rubbernecks; they are just people, trying to find a way to help out wherever they can, be it with debris removal, bringing food and water, or just running errands for the victims. It has just been an amazing thing to witness, and it has gone a very long way to restoring this cynic's faith in his fellow man.
I am so proud to be a part of this great community. The people of Rutherford County took me in as one of their own four years ago, and they have always made us feel right at home here. I can't say at this point that I will never leave, but I have absolutely no desire at this time to ever live anywhere else. This is one of the best places to live in America, period. And these people here, well...they are just amazing. And before I start blubbering like a little girl, I will just leave it at that!
Murfreesboro is already well on its way to recovery, but help is still needed. Please go to www.midtnredcross.org and make a donation to help our community. With the realization that times are tough for many right now, any donation - no matter how small - will help make a difference.
At around 12:30 PM on Good Friday, April 10, 2009, the city of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, a college town of just over 100,000 southeast of Nashville, was hit with a devastating EF-3 tornado. Most severely affected were the middle-class neighborhoods of Blackman and Ravenwood, on the northwest side of the city. To put this in perspective of the proximity to my home, I live in the southern tip of Smyrna, just north of Murfreesboro; in fact, I often joke that I "live in Smyrna, but I can walk out the back door and take a p*** in Murfreesboro!" In other words, the path of this terrible storm was literally just a few short miles from my home.
More than 40 people were injured, and two were killed: Kori Bryant, a young mother in her 20's, and her nine-week old daughter Olivia were found a short distance from their Ravenwood home, apparently having tried to get to their car to escape the storm (Olivia's body was found strapped into her car seat). The father is critically injured in a local hospital with a broken back and most likely will never walk again. Dozens of others sustained minor injuries, and the last I heard, there were still 4-5 people listed in critical condition.
Over 100 homes were either destroyed or heavily damaged. One 1,800-square-foot house was lifted into the air and dropped directly on top of a neighboring home. A brand-new office building was destroyed and semi trailers were flipped on their tops and sides in the NW Broad / Thompson Lane area. Hundred-year-old oak trees were reduced to mere kindling. Cars were tossed about like Matchbox toys, and power poles were snapped like toothpicks. It was a scene of utter chaos seldom seen in this area, and nothing like Middle Tennessee has experienced since the Gallatin (north of Nashville) tornado of 2006.
The entire area was shaken to its core, and that includes those of us lucky enough to be located out of the direct path of the storm. This hit a little too close to home for all of us in Rutherford County, no matter what part of it in which we live. Just about anyone who is lucky enough to call this place home will tell you, these are some of the absolute finest people you will ever meet, anywhere, and Murfreesboro is one of the best towns of its size in America. Having gotten to know these people, driven these streets and called this area home for the past four years, the events of Good Friday 2009 will forever haunt me.
But there has been a positive side to this tragedy as well. It has been totally amazing to me how this community has pulled together in the midst of this disaster. As one would expect, many, many victims were interviewed in the aftermath of the storm by local Nashville news stations, and I do not recall once - not ONCE - anyone bemoaning the loss of their material belongings. What I heard was gratitude, and a feeling that they were extremely fortunate to have not lost their families' and friends' lives to the storm. From the stories I have heard, volunteers were in the areas almost immediately after the storm was over, helping the victims to salvage what they could from their demolished homes. Despite warnings from the Murfreesboro police to be wary of profiteers and looters, and to the general public to refrain from sightseeing, it has turned out that most of the traffic streaming into the Boro has not been crooks or rubbernecks; they are just people, trying to find a way to help out wherever they can, be it with debris removal, bringing food and water, or just running errands for the victims. It has just been an amazing thing to witness, and it has gone a very long way to restoring this cynic's faith in his fellow man.
I am so proud to be a part of this great community. The people of Rutherford County took me in as one of their own four years ago, and they have always made us feel right at home here. I can't say at this point that I will never leave, but I have absolutely no desire at this time to ever live anywhere else. This is one of the best places to live in America, period. And these people here, well...they are just amazing. And before I start blubbering like a little girl, I will just leave it at that!
Murfreesboro is already well on its way to recovery, but help is still needed. Please go to www.midtnredcross.org and make a donation to help our community. With the realization that times are tough for many right now, any donation - no matter how small - will help make a difference.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
The Cutler Conundrum
For anyone who even casually follows sports, you have by now no doubt heard about the drama going on between the Denver Broncos and their QB Jay Cutler. To summarize the situation for those of you who may not have heard, the Broncos' new head coach Josh McDaniels, a former assistant under Bill Belichick in New England, attempted to make a play for former Patriots' QB Matt Cassel using Cutler as trade bait. Cutler, who despite a losing record as a starter (mostly due to the Broncos' GHASTLY defense), is generally regarded as one of the elite young QB's in the NFL, took exception to this attempt to trade him away and has been publicly bashing his team's management since.
It all came to a head yesterday (ironically on April Fool's Day) when the Broncos formally announced that they were seeking to trade Cutler and that the price was two first-round draft picks. A steep price, to be sure, but in this age of overpriced rookie busts, it seems fairly reasonable for a franchise-type quarterback that has already proven his Pro Bowl ability. Teams rumored to be in the mix for Cutler are the Redksins (of course), Jets, Panthers, Bears, Lions and Buccaneers. Actually, you could probably throw just about every team in the NFL (except for maybe the Colts and Patriots) into the mix - Cutler is that good.
Now, Cutler has thrown another monkey wrench into the process. At last night's UFC event in Nashville, he told an ESPN reporter that he was surprised about yesterday's announcement from the Broncos and that he never really wanted to be traded. What?! He was quoted, on the record, as telling ESPN's Chris Mortensen on March 16th that he was going to instruct his agent to formally request a trade out of Denver. Now he suddenly "likes his teammates, wants to stay in Denver and is surprised by the announcement." I'm beginning to think that Jay Cutler may not be a spoiled crybaby like I originally thought....he might just be nuts!!
Now, having said that, I am going to take a position on this that might prove unpopular, but as a fan of the game and someone who understands just how vital a Pro Bowl quarterback is to a team's success, I'm still going to lay the blame for this mess at the feet of the Broncos' management. Though Cutler is suddenly becoming the league's biggest diva this side of T.O., the team's owner and coach are the ones who set the wheels in motion for this....DUMPSTER FIRE, and I think that trading Cutler away is something that will haunt this franchise for years, possibly DECADES to come.
The Broncos' first mistake is pretty obvious to me, and that was firing head coach Mike Shanahan at the end of last season. A Super Bowl winner and a coach who is generally regarded around the NFL as an offensive genius, Shanahan was extremely close to Cutler and knew how to push the right buttons to get the best out of his young quarterback. However, after last year's late-season collapse, caused mostly by their horrendous defense, some bad officiating and a lot of bad luck, owner Pat Bowlen needed a fall guy, and that was Shanahan. At that time, Cutler expressed shock and disappointment and gave us the first signs of the impending meltdown, but nobody paid much attention to it at the time.
The Broncos' second mistake was hiring 32-year-old Josh McDaniels, formerly the Patriots' offensive coordinator, to replace Shanahan. History has proven that, while Bill Belichick may be a great head coach, his assistants - Charlie Weis, Romeo Crennell, Eric Mangini - have not had much success, not to mention McDaniels' young age and lack of experience as an assistant. This was just a bad hire, and I'm still not sure exactly what Pat Bowlen was thinking. However, the fact that the Patriots were able to go 11-5 with a backup QB (Cassel) that had not started a game since high school caused McDaniels' stock to soar, and Bowlen bought into it. Huge mistake, in my opinion.
Third mistake: trying to trade for Matt Cassel. This is on McDaniels. You walk into your first-ever head coaching job with all of the pieces in place to have a brilliant offense - except for a true starter at running back - and immediately try and make a deal for Cassel? I don't get this at all. I understand McDaniels' familiarity and comfort level with Cassel, but I just don't understand the logic behind trading away a legitimate starter for someone who may turn out to be a one-year wonder when taken away from the talented Patriots. And the worst thing about it was that the Broncos didn't tell Cutler what they were up to, and reportedly lied to him when he initially confronted them about it. This is not how men treat each other. They should have told Cutler what they were doing from the get-go and they should never have lied about it. I don't blame Cutler at all for being angry about it.
The biggest mistake the Broncos made, however, was handling the fallout. A lot of people would probably disagree with me on this, but I really think they should have fallen all over themselves and gone out of their way to make him feel wanted; they didn't. I understand that Cutler is acting childish and coming off as a spoiled brat...I get that. But sometimes, you have to make exceptions for exceptional talent. Its a brutal fact of life that not everyone is gets treated the same. Whether it is in the business world, politics, entertainment or sports, the best and the brightest usually get special treatment, because most of the people in charge realize that if you want to keep the top-level talent, you have to be willing to make reasonable concessions to them on occasion in order to stroke their massive egos. The Broncos refused to accept this reality, and now it is going to bite them. All they had to do was reach out and put an assuring arm around Cutler, apologize to him and let him know that he was their guy, and they failed to do that. Instead, McDaniels took the gruff, Belichick-esque tough-guy stance and say that he had no intention of trading Cutler, and that expected him to be their QB this year. By the time he got around to offering any type of regret or reassurance - which came off as grudgingly - the relationship was too far gone.
Now we are left with this mess. If I'm a Broncos fan, I'm wondering what the hell just happened. Five months ago, we're three games ahead of the Chargers in the AFC West, we have Mike Shanahan on the sideline and Jay Cutler under center; all we need are some missing pieces on the defense and the future looks bright. Then the collapse, the firing of Shanahan and the impending trade of Cutler, and this suddenly looks like a 3-13 team. This should never have happened. The people in Denver are some of the league's best fans and they deserve better. And when the Broncos struggle mightily just to compete in the woeful West for the next 10 years, the fans will have only Pat Bowlen and Josh McDaniels to blame.
It all came to a head yesterday (ironically on April Fool's Day) when the Broncos formally announced that they were seeking to trade Cutler and that the price was two first-round draft picks. A steep price, to be sure, but in this age of overpriced rookie busts, it seems fairly reasonable for a franchise-type quarterback that has already proven his Pro Bowl ability. Teams rumored to be in the mix for Cutler are the Redksins (of course), Jets, Panthers, Bears, Lions and Buccaneers. Actually, you could probably throw just about every team in the NFL (except for maybe the Colts and Patriots) into the mix - Cutler is that good.
Now, Cutler has thrown another monkey wrench into the process. At last night's UFC event in Nashville, he told an ESPN reporter that he was surprised about yesterday's announcement from the Broncos and that he never really wanted to be traded. What?! He was quoted, on the record, as telling ESPN's Chris Mortensen on March 16th that he was going to instruct his agent to formally request a trade out of Denver. Now he suddenly "likes his teammates, wants to stay in Denver and is surprised by the announcement." I'm beginning to think that Jay Cutler may not be a spoiled crybaby like I originally thought....he might just be nuts!!
Now, having said that, I am going to take a position on this that might prove unpopular, but as a fan of the game and someone who understands just how vital a Pro Bowl quarterback is to a team's success, I'm still going to lay the blame for this mess at the feet of the Broncos' management. Though Cutler is suddenly becoming the league's biggest diva this side of T.O., the team's owner and coach are the ones who set the wheels in motion for this....DUMPSTER FIRE, and I think that trading Cutler away is something that will haunt this franchise for years, possibly DECADES to come.
The Broncos' first mistake is pretty obvious to me, and that was firing head coach Mike Shanahan at the end of last season. A Super Bowl winner and a coach who is generally regarded around the NFL as an offensive genius, Shanahan was extremely close to Cutler and knew how to push the right buttons to get the best out of his young quarterback. However, after last year's late-season collapse, caused mostly by their horrendous defense, some bad officiating and a lot of bad luck, owner Pat Bowlen needed a fall guy, and that was Shanahan. At that time, Cutler expressed shock and disappointment and gave us the first signs of the impending meltdown, but nobody paid much attention to it at the time.
The Broncos' second mistake was hiring 32-year-old Josh McDaniels, formerly the Patriots' offensive coordinator, to replace Shanahan. History has proven that, while Bill Belichick may be a great head coach, his assistants - Charlie Weis, Romeo Crennell, Eric Mangini - have not had much success, not to mention McDaniels' young age and lack of experience as an assistant. This was just a bad hire, and I'm still not sure exactly what Pat Bowlen was thinking. However, the fact that the Patriots were able to go 11-5 with a backup QB (Cassel) that had not started a game since high school caused McDaniels' stock to soar, and Bowlen bought into it. Huge mistake, in my opinion.
Third mistake: trying to trade for Matt Cassel. This is on McDaniels. You walk into your first-ever head coaching job with all of the pieces in place to have a brilliant offense - except for a true starter at running back - and immediately try and make a deal for Cassel? I don't get this at all. I understand McDaniels' familiarity and comfort level with Cassel, but I just don't understand the logic behind trading away a legitimate starter for someone who may turn out to be a one-year wonder when taken away from the talented Patriots. And the worst thing about it was that the Broncos didn't tell Cutler what they were up to, and reportedly lied to him when he initially confronted them about it. This is not how men treat each other. They should have told Cutler what they were doing from the get-go and they should never have lied about it. I don't blame Cutler at all for being angry about it.
The biggest mistake the Broncos made, however, was handling the fallout. A lot of people would probably disagree with me on this, but I really think they should have fallen all over themselves and gone out of their way to make him feel wanted; they didn't. I understand that Cutler is acting childish and coming off as a spoiled brat...I get that. But sometimes, you have to make exceptions for exceptional talent. Its a brutal fact of life that not everyone is gets treated the same. Whether it is in the business world, politics, entertainment or sports, the best and the brightest usually get special treatment, because most of the people in charge realize that if you want to keep the top-level talent, you have to be willing to make reasonable concessions to them on occasion in order to stroke their massive egos. The Broncos refused to accept this reality, and now it is going to bite them. All they had to do was reach out and put an assuring arm around Cutler, apologize to him and let him know that he was their guy, and they failed to do that. Instead, McDaniels took the gruff, Belichick-esque tough-guy stance and say that he had no intention of trading Cutler, and that expected him to be their QB this year. By the time he got around to offering any type of regret or reassurance - which came off as grudgingly - the relationship was too far gone.
Now we are left with this mess. If I'm a Broncos fan, I'm wondering what the hell just happened. Five months ago, we're three games ahead of the Chargers in the AFC West, we have Mike Shanahan on the sideline and Jay Cutler under center; all we need are some missing pieces on the defense and the future looks bright. Then the collapse, the firing of Shanahan and the impending trade of Cutler, and this suddenly looks like a 3-13 team. This should never have happened. The people in Denver are some of the league's best fans and they deserve better. And when the Broncos struggle mightily just to compete in the woeful West for the next 10 years, the fans will have only Pat Bowlen and Josh McDaniels to blame.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Alex Rodriguez
Is anybody but me getting sick of the whole A-Rod/steroid "scandal?" At this point, the most you're going to get out of me over hearing that a modern-era baseball player has used performance-enhancing drugs is a big, fat YAWN! I am honestly more surprised to hear that a modern baseballer has NOT used steroids or HGH in his career!
And, oh, the SANCTIMONY I am hearing!! It was bad enough that MLB commish Bud Selig stated that A-Rod had "shamed" the game - this from a man who STOOD BY and reaped the financial whirlwind of the long ball battles that the steroid era brought us, all the while refusing to stand up to the players' union and institute SOME type of random drug testing until a very short time ago. But the talk radio pundits, bloggers and columnists are just making me physically ill with all the self-righteous nonsense they keep hurling at A-Rod. Case in point: one day, syndicated talk show host Jim Rome calls on Rodriguez to come clean, admit it and move on. After A-Rod did so, the very next day, Rome questioned his sincerity, and said he thought it sounded more like "A-Rod's not sorry; he's just sorry he got caught!" WHAT?! Jim Rome, while extremely entertaining and generally really good at what he does is a WEASEL and a HYPOCRITE (anyone remember the "Chris Everett" incident)? Since when did sports talk hosts and columnists become the moral friggin' yardstick of our society?? Give me a break!
Look, A-Rod cheated. I get it. He lied about it, right to Katie Couric's face. I get that, too. But it's pretty apparent that an entire era of baseball is deserving of having a giant asterisk placed beside it, and A-Rod is part of that era. So we move on. Put it behind us, stop the sanctimony and preaching, and get back to having FUN with our sports. I am sick of this steroid nonsense, and even sicker of a sports media with an ever-increasing God complex!
And, oh, the SANCTIMONY I am hearing!! It was bad enough that MLB commish Bud Selig stated that A-Rod had "shamed" the game - this from a man who STOOD BY and reaped the financial whirlwind of the long ball battles that the steroid era brought us, all the while refusing to stand up to the players' union and institute SOME type of random drug testing until a very short time ago. But the talk radio pundits, bloggers and columnists are just making me physically ill with all the self-righteous nonsense they keep hurling at A-Rod. Case in point: one day, syndicated talk show host Jim Rome calls on Rodriguez to come clean, admit it and move on. After A-Rod did so, the very next day, Rome questioned his sincerity, and said he thought it sounded more like "A-Rod's not sorry; he's just sorry he got caught!" WHAT?! Jim Rome, while extremely entertaining and generally really good at what he does is a WEASEL and a HYPOCRITE (anyone remember the "Chris Everett" incident)? Since when did sports talk hosts and columnists become the moral friggin' yardstick of our society?? Give me a break!
Look, A-Rod cheated. I get it. He lied about it, right to Katie Couric's face. I get that, too. But it's pretty apparent that an entire era of baseball is deserving of having a giant asterisk placed beside it, and A-Rod is part of that era. So we move on. Put it behind us, stop the sanctimony and preaching, and get back to having FUN with our sports. I am sick of this steroid nonsense, and even sicker of a sports media with an ever-increasing God complex!
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
"America's Team"
If you've listened to any sports-talk radio the past couple of days, it seems the hip thing to do now is declare the Pittsburgh Steelers the New America's Team. First of all, let's get some things straight: despite the fact that I am a Dallas Cowboys fan and believe - nay, am convinced - that the NFL as we know it today would not exist without the Cowboys, I have always hated that nickname, and wish that NFL Films and Tex Schramm had never made it up. To be honest, when it comes to NFL football, I actually think there are multiple "America's Teams": the Cowboys, Raiders, (ugh) Redskins, Packers, and yes, the Steelers. The Steelers just happen to be the hot commodity right now.
Now I'm not in any way diminishing what the Steelers have done; right now, today, as of this moment, they are the elite gold standard in pro sports. Uncle. I give. BUT - to call them - as some are suggesting - the greatest pro sports franchise of all time is completely asinine. First of all, it's a dumb subject that is base purely on the opinions of talking heads. Second, all of the gushing about them is making it sound like the rest of the league has been basically trying to catch up with them since the early 70's. Baloney! Do you realize that other than Super Bowl XIV in January of 1980 - which was actually the Super Bowl for the 1979 season - the Steelers did not make a single Super Bowl appearance in the 80's? They only made one in the 90's, Super Bowl XXX following the 1995 season when the AFC was clearly the weaker conference, and they couldn't even get over on the Cowboys in that game with Dallas playing probably their overall worst Super Bowl ever. I remember well that many wondered why Bill Cowher never seemed to be on the hot seat despite his lack of postseason success (not to mention the failed Kordell Stewart experiment). And I never hear any Steeler fans fondly reminisce on the good old days of Cliff Stoudt, Bubby Brister or Neil O'Donnell. The fact is, the Steelers have had their ups and downs just like everyone else, and I'm quite honestly getting nauseated at the way supposedly objective media members are suddenly drooling over them.
Now I'm not in any way diminishing what the Steelers have done; right now, today, as of this moment, they are the elite gold standard in pro sports. Uncle. I give. BUT - to call them - as some are suggesting - the greatest pro sports franchise of all time is completely asinine. First of all, it's a dumb subject that is base purely on the opinions of talking heads. Second, all of the gushing about them is making it sound like the rest of the league has been basically trying to catch up with them since the early 70's. Baloney! Do you realize that other than Super Bowl XIV in January of 1980 - which was actually the Super Bowl for the 1979 season - the Steelers did not make a single Super Bowl appearance in the 80's? They only made one in the 90's, Super Bowl XXX following the 1995 season when the AFC was clearly the weaker conference, and they couldn't even get over on the Cowboys in that game with Dallas playing probably their overall worst Super Bowl ever. I remember well that many wondered why Bill Cowher never seemed to be on the hot seat despite his lack of postseason success (not to mention the failed Kordell Stewart experiment). And I never hear any Steeler fans fondly reminisce on the good old days of Cliff Stoudt, Bubby Brister or Neil O'Donnell. The fact is, the Steelers have had their ups and downs just like everyone else, and I'm quite honestly getting nauseated at the way supposedly objective media members are suddenly drooling over them.
Friday, December 5, 2008
Greatest All-Time Coach Rants
5.San Francisco 49ers head coach Mike Singletary - I Want Winners!
4. Herman Edwards - You Play To Win The Games! Hello?!?
3. Dennis Green - They Are Who We Thought They Were!
2. Jim Mora - Playoffs?! PLAYOFFS?!?
And the winner is...
1. Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy - I'm A Man! I'm 40!
(This one is king of long, stick with it, it's worth it!!)
4. Herman Edwards - You Play To Win The Games! Hello?!?
3. Dennis Green - They Are Who We Thought They Were!
2. Jim Mora - Playoffs?! PLAYOFFS?!?
And the winner is...
1. Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy - I'm A Man! I'm 40!
(This one is king of long, stick with it, it's worth it!!)
Monday, November 24, 2008
Just a quick note to the NFL pundits...
The New York Jets BEAT the Tennessee Titans yesterday. On THAT DAY, the Jets were the better team and brought more to the field and won the game. Now, to all the douchebag pundits that have suddenly anointed the Jets the best team in the AFC, do I need to remind you that this is NOT COLLEGE FOOTBALL, there is NO POLL, and NO COMPUTER that the Tennessee Titans are relying on to give them a better chance of going to the Super Bowl than the New York Jets. The national media gave the Tennessee Titans virtually NO COVERAGE during their impressive 10-0 start, yet the 8-3 Jets are suddenly the best thing since last years' Patriots?? BULLSHIT! As much as it must PAIN you northeastern elitist PRICKS to think this, I promise you, you will be spending some time with us HILLBILLIES in January. One game doesn't matter a goddam bit. The road to the Super Bowl in the AFC STILL runs through Nashville FUCKING Tennessee!!
Sunday, November 23, 2008
But on the other hand....
...the Cowboys, from what I saw of it, looked like their old selves. Terrell Owens with over 200 yards receiving is a HAPPY Terrell Owens, so now maybe he'll just shut up and start CATCHING the damn ball! I was ready to write this team off a few weeks ago, and though I'm by no means ready to proclaim them a Super Bowl contender once again, today was DEFINITELY a step in the right direction.
Yikes
Well, the Titans fans' dream of an undefeated season ended to day in rather convincing fashion with a loss to the New York Jets, 34-13. Brett Favre, the past two or three weeks, looks like a quarterback reborn, and save for one interception to Titans' CB Courtland Finnegan, played a near-perfect game, as did the Jets' defense. The Titans were just physically dominated, and I applaud the Jets for the big win.
But this stuff does happen. Very rarely - twice in the modern era, actually - does a team get through the entire regular season without at least one really ugly loss. The Giants had theirs against Cleveland several weeks ago, now the Titans have theirs. This game says more to me about the Jets than it does the Titans. The Jets are a good team, and now that Favre and those talented WR's and TE's are starting to jell, I think the sky's the limit for this team. They're good. REAL good.
I still think the Titans are among the best teams in the AFC, probably the entire NFL. They will regroup and get back to their winning ways, I guarantee it. Jeff Fisher is too good of a coach to let this team stay down for long.
But this stuff does happen. Very rarely - twice in the modern era, actually - does a team get through the entire regular season without at least one really ugly loss. The Giants had theirs against Cleveland several weeks ago, now the Titans have theirs. This game says more to me about the Jets than it does the Titans. The Jets are a good team, and now that Favre and those talented WR's and TE's are starting to jell, I think the sky's the limit for this team. They're good. REAL good.
I still think the Titans are among the best teams in the AFC, probably the entire NFL. They will regroup and get back to their winning ways, I guarantee it. Jeff Fisher is too good of a coach to let this team stay down for long.
So now what happens?
So now that Oklahoma beat Texas Tech in pretty impressive fashion last night, it looks like there is going to be a 3-way tie at the top of the Big 12 conference, with Texas, Texas Tech and Oklahoma all finishing at 11-1, provided they all win their games next week.
So who, if anyone, out of this conference is going to be eligible for the BCS Championship when all the dust settles? The knee-jerkers, I'm sure, will say Oklahoma, due to the style points they will get from just dominating the Red Raiders last night. But don't forget, Texas beat Oklahoma on a neutral field. Problem is, that happened way back in the middle of the season, so I'm not sure if the voters or the BCS computer will take that into account as much as they should. Too much of this nonsensical bowl system rests on the "what have you done for me lately" mentality. Just further evidence that, as pointed out numerous times by the fans, nearly every commentator in America and even our new president-elect that WE NEED A PLAYOFF SYSTEM IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL!! This system is horribly flawed, and especially in years like this one, you're really never going to know who the best team in the nation REALLY is.
In my humble opinion, Florida should be number one, even though I'm a GATOR HATOR from way back! But the way they have been dominating their opponents just tells me that they are on a whole different level than everyone else, despite a very sloppy and unexpected loss to Ole Miss earlier in the season.
But the fact is, we are never going to know who the best team TRULY is, because we don't have a playoff system. And what's worse, the old white guys in charge of the BCS and the schools involved in it are making too much MONEY the way it currently stands to change it. Any time the question is of a playoff system is put forth to any of these assholes, they just deflect it and basically say that nothing is changing, no matter what the fans or players may want.
Truth is, folks, as long as we keep spending money going to games, buying GamePlan and purchasing the merchandise, nothing is going to change. If we really want this to change, we have to hit these pricks where it hurts the most - in the wallet. Everyone complains about it, but we keep filling up 100,000-seat stadiums and rocking all the gear, so it doesn't look to me like we're all that unhappy about the current system. If you really want change, you've got to STOP going to the games, STOP buying GamePlan, STOP buying merchandise, and STOP supporting the companies that sponsor the BCS bowl games, period.
So who, if anyone, out of this conference is going to be eligible for the BCS Championship when all the dust settles? The knee-jerkers, I'm sure, will say Oklahoma, due to the style points they will get from just dominating the Red Raiders last night. But don't forget, Texas beat Oklahoma on a neutral field. Problem is, that happened way back in the middle of the season, so I'm not sure if the voters or the BCS computer will take that into account as much as they should. Too much of this nonsensical bowl system rests on the "what have you done for me lately" mentality. Just further evidence that, as pointed out numerous times by the fans, nearly every commentator in America and even our new president-elect that WE NEED A PLAYOFF SYSTEM IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL!! This system is horribly flawed, and especially in years like this one, you're really never going to know who the best team in the nation REALLY is.
In my humble opinion, Florida should be number one, even though I'm a GATOR HATOR from way back! But the way they have been dominating their opponents just tells me that they are on a whole different level than everyone else, despite a very sloppy and unexpected loss to Ole Miss earlier in the season.
But the fact is, we are never going to know who the best team TRULY is, because we don't have a playoff system. And what's worse, the old white guys in charge of the BCS and the schools involved in it are making too much MONEY the way it currently stands to change it. Any time the question is of a playoff system is put forth to any of these assholes, they just deflect it and basically say that nothing is changing, no matter what the fans or players may want.
Truth is, folks, as long as we keep spending money going to games, buying GamePlan and purchasing the merchandise, nothing is going to change. If we really want this to change, we have to hit these pricks where it hurts the most - in the wallet. Everyone complains about it, but we keep filling up 100,000-seat stadiums and rocking all the gear, so it doesn't look to me like we're all that unhappy about the current system. If you really want change, you've got to STOP going to the games, STOP buying GamePlan, STOP buying merchandise, and STOP supporting the companies that sponsor the BCS bowl games, period.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Yeah, I'm on the bandwagon....
The Tennessee Titans improved to 9-0 today with a hard-fought victory against the Chicago Bears in the frigid weather at Soldier Field. This was, as most Titans games are lately, a physically BRUTAL contest, pitting two of the top defenses in the NFL against one another. However, the Bears' plan to sell out against the run and bring 8- and 9-man fronts against Tennessee's "Slash and Dash" RB combo of Chris Johnson and LenDale White was ultimately a failure: Kerry Collins, looking more like the Carolina Panther gunslinger of the 90's than the graybeard Titans backup of 2008, passed for 280 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions, proving that the Titans can beat you offensively through the air as well as on the ground. As usual, the Titans' defense came up big as well; though Chicago rookie RB Matt Forte had a good day, they held the bears to only 14 points, and QB Rex Grossman was under duress all day.
So have I hopped on the bandwagon? YES! When you live in a football-crazy town like Nashville long enough, you either wind up HATING their team, or some of the love starts to rub off on you. I'm the latter example. I LOVE the way this team plays football. Punishing defense, pounding ground game, and the ability to put it in the air when needed. The coaching staff is just amazing: Head Coach Jeff Fisher is an amazing motivator, offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger is an exceptional play-caller, and defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz always seems to make the right adjustments to shut down the opposition when it counts the most. Though really devoid of any superstars, the Titans have some of the BEST players in this league: DT Albert Haynesworth is a BEAST, and the best defensive lineman in the NFL. CB Courtland Finnegan has a nose for the ball and will knock the CRAP out of you every chance he gets, as will S Michael Griffin. RB Chris Johnson is absolutely EXPLOSIVE, and his backfield partner White is a touchdown-scoring MACHINE. But the best part of this team is it's offensive line. Featuring perrenial All-Pro's such as Jake Scott and Kevin Mawae, they are equally adept at pushing the pile on running plays as they are at creating a PERFECT pocket for Kerry Collins to throw from. This team does EVERYTHING RIGHT, and hopefully my Cowboys are looking at them to see how it SHOULD be done! It's not about, flash, drama, egos and superstars; it's about TEAM CHEMISTRY, COACHING and PHYSICALITY, very similar to what the NY Giants do. In fact, I'm going to make a prediciton for the Super Bowl: the Tennesee Titans will defeat the NY Giants. Your read it here first!
So have I hopped on the bandwagon? YES! When you live in a football-crazy town like Nashville long enough, you either wind up HATING their team, or some of the love starts to rub off on you. I'm the latter example. I LOVE the way this team plays football. Punishing defense, pounding ground game, and the ability to put it in the air when needed. The coaching staff is just amazing: Head Coach Jeff Fisher is an amazing motivator, offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger is an exceptional play-caller, and defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz always seems to make the right adjustments to shut down the opposition when it counts the most. Though really devoid of any superstars, the Titans have some of the BEST players in this league: DT Albert Haynesworth is a BEAST, and the best defensive lineman in the NFL. CB Courtland Finnegan has a nose for the ball and will knock the CRAP out of you every chance he gets, as will S Michael Griffin. RB Chris Johnson is absolutely EXPLOSIVE, and his backfield partner White is a touchdown-scoring MACHINE. But the best part of this team is it's offensive line. Featuring perrenial All-Pro's such as Jake Scott and Kevin Mawae, they are equally adept at pushing the pile on running plays as they are at creating a PERFECT pocket for Kerry Collins to throw from. This team does EVERYTHING RIGHT, and hopefully my Cowboys are looking at them to see how it SHOULD be done! It's not about, flash, drama, egos and superstars; it's about TEAM CHEMISTRY, COACHING and PHYSICALITY, very similar to what the NY Giants do. In fact, I'm going to make a prediciton for the Super Bowl: the Tennesee Titans will defeat the NY Giants. Your read it here first!
Friday, October 31, 2008
Buckle Your Damn Kids In!! (EXPLICIT)
BUCKLE YOUR DAMN KIDS IN!!! (EXPLICIT RANT)
Current mood: 
Category: Life
I was driving down I-24 on my way home from work today and I saw a little girl hanging her head OUT of the window of a beat-up Honda. She was no more than five or six years old!! I pulled up next to the so-called "mom," honked my horn, gave her a shitty look, grabbed my seat belt, and pointed at the little girl in the back seat. The bitch flipped me off! Un FUCKING believable!
The bottom line is this: if you drive around with small children in your car with no seat belt, booster or car seat, you are guilty of nothing less than CHILD ABUSE and I have NO RESPECT for you at all!
It fucking amazes me that we lock up our house, lock up our cars - all to protect the security and safety of MATERIAL THINGS - but you can't take ONE GODDAM MINUTE to buckle up your OWN CHILD??!?!
I'm tire of the LAME excuses, too: "We live in a small town, there's not that much traffic," "My parents didn't buckle me up and I turned out OK," "I can't afford a car seat," or my personal favorite, "We're hillbillies, we don't use car seats or seat belts!" You know what? Anyone who uses any of these LAME excuses is a FUCKING IDIOT! I'm living proof that BAD car accidents happen in small towns; there are HORRIBLE DRIVERS and DRUNKEN MORONS all over the road, sometimes more so in small towns than anywhere else! (I know that for a fact, because I used to BE both of those things!!) And just because my parents didn't buckle me up doesn't mean that I, in the 21st century, with VASTLY IMPROVED safety equipment and much more knowledge and education, can't buckle MY son up! And I'll let you in on a little secret: when Jeremy was on his way, Angie and I barely had a pot to piss in, but we bought a sufficient car seat at a yard sale for TEN BUCKS! As for the hillbilly remark, I don't know whether to feel anger or pity that someone could actually think this is all a BIG JOKE. This is a CHILD'S LIFE we are talking about!!
A child is a PRECIOUS GIFT. That people won't take as much time to protect their own flesh and blood as they will to protect their flat-screen TV is just absolutely DISGUSTING to me. I am also ASHAMED that I live in a state that considers a child restraint violation the same as an adult not wearing a seat belt. WTF??? You're KIDDING! Adults have a CHOICE. Kids DON'T! They rely on us to protect them, and we have a RESPONSIBLITY as parents/authority figures to do just that!
If you disagree with me, that's OK but you are FUCKING WRONG!
In Memory Of Caylon Roach
Caylon Roach was one of my closest friends in high school. Though we hadn't spoken at length in a number of years, we did manage to stay in touch via the occasional email. He was a really good guy, and the world was a better place with him in it. Be at peace, my friend.<
(February 26, 1969 - October 17, 2008)
Memorial Services for Caylon Alden Roach 39, of Clovis will be held 3:00 PM Tuesday, October 21, 2008, at The Chapel with Rev. Wesley McAfee officiating. Burial will follow at Lawn Haven Memorial Gardens.
Caylon was born February 26, 1969, in Clovis to Odis and Wanda Bennett Roach. He died Friday October 17, 2008, at his home. He was a lifetime resident and worked as a railroad conductor/engineer for the BN&SF railroad. He was of the Baptist Faith and a member of the United Transportation Union. Caylon enjoyed fishing, hunting, camping, bowling, baseball and had a love for gardening.
He is survived by his parents Odis and Wanda Roach of Clovis, NM, his companion Patty Hume of Clovis, one brother, Audie (Dori) Roach, two nieces; April (Ben) Phipps and Misty English all of Clovis, NM He was preceded by his grandparents.
Memorial Contributions may be made to the Baptist Childrens Home 2200 South Ave. I, Portales, NM 88130
Muffley Funeral Home Inc. is in charge of arrangements. 575 762-4435 muffleyfuneralhome.com
(February 26, 1969 - October 17, 2008)
Memorial Services for Caylon Alden Roach 39, of Clovis will be held 3:00 PM Tuesday, October 21, 2008, at The Chapel with Rev. Wesley McAfee officiating. Burial will follow at Lawn Haven Memorial Gardens.
Caylon was born February 26, 1969, in Clovis to Odis and Wanda Bennett Roach. He died Friday October 17, 2008, at his home. He was a lifetime resident and worked as a railroad conductor/engineer for the BN&SF railroad. He was of the Baptist Faith and a member of the United Transportation Union. Caylon enjoyed fishing, hunting, camping, bowling, baseball and had a love for gardening.
He is survived by his parents Odis and Wanda Roach of Clovis, NM, his companion Patty Hume of Clovis, one brother, Audie (Dori) Roach, two nieces; April (Ben) Phipps and Misty English all of Clovis, NM He was preceded by his grandparents.
Memorial Contributions may be made to the Baptist Childrens Home 2200 South Ave. I, Portales, NM 88130
Muffley Funeral Home Inc. is in charge of arrangements. 575 762-4435 muffleyfuneralhome.com
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