I AM A BASKETBALL god

“no kidding dayhiker? who would have imagined that.

The last time I was in Talledega, there was some guy in the infield who got drunk (another surprise!) and painted a huge number "3" on the side of his brand new pick up truck (still had temporary drive off tags). Wouldn't you love to be that guys banker when he showed back up in town?”

“And some people here in the south wonder why we get a bad rap.”

“My wife had to go to Anniston this morning and said that every truck she saw was packed to the gills with fire wood and beer. On her way back she passed some good ole boys laid back on their toolbox already throwing a few back. It's 12 o'clock somewhere, right?

The fella who's doing our office expansion said that he was listening to his scanner last night(volunteer fire). A call came in for a car fire at the Cook Springs interstate exit(20 minutes from the track). Some good'un responds that he'll check it out. He gets there and calls back in "Margaret, did you say it was on the on ramp?"..."Yup"..."Margaret, they're just bar-b-queing". A couple of guys evidently, got in late last night and didn't feel like making it all the way to the track and just pulled off and lit up.”

“Arky, driving by a racetrack on race weekend is a lesson in Southern Culture, or lack there-of.”

“Sort of gives car camping an whole new meaning, doesn't it?”

“Good Golly! That's a lot of posts today. You guys have fun without me?

I keep trying to get out...BUT THEY KEEP PULLING ME BACK IN!”

“but arc, you are the "sports god",,,,aren't you always here in spirit?”

“Gosh fellas. You gentlemen have made some comments, about me, that might be interpreted as a less than sterling appraisal of my wonderful nature. Yell people down? Howard Stern? Kick him around? Gee willickers, what have I ever done to deserve such wrath, such venom, such unfriendliness?

Fall? Two days? I'd hate to leave y'all without a butt to your jokes. I may be able to swing something. Including Holidays, I do get seven weeks vacation a year. And since I am the god in the described title of this here hike, you swell folks probably won't mind paying my traveling expenses. THAT SETTLES IT, I'M IN!”

“I send the greyhound bus ticket by snail mail.”

“HALLELUJAH!!! I knew the verbal abuse would get to his divine self. This is getting better than I imagined.
Now, Arc picks up Dayhiker and they pick up Chili. Arky will meet us there. I don't know if the State of Arkansas is ready for this.
Gotta read up on my Rand before we hike.”

“That would work, or if arc wants to save about 10 hrs, he could fly to Memphis and chili and I could pick him up. Either one will work. This is going to be great.

Chili, how long did it take you to drive to Sipsey. Mapquest shows an average speed to Memphis of like 55 mph. I know that's too slow, even on those roads. I go to Hamilton quite often, which has the worst roads of the whole stretch to Memphis.”

“A few other thoughts are:
There is a Southwest flight from Jacksonville to Birmingham for $145 that leaves at 10 and arrives at 12. I live 30 minutes from Bham and could pick arc up and head to Memphis.

Since arc is 959 miles from the Ozarks and Dunadan is 330 miles we may want to adjust the location if everyone is driving. Gatlinburg, TN is 812 for Dunadan and 525 for arc. Still not a good balance. Any other location thoughts. If flying isn't a problem for arc it's really not an issue. Southwest lists Jacksonville and Little Rock as destinations, but does not have flights between the two.”

“I'm starting to like the idea of flying. It's pretty cheap and would sure save some time.

I like your idea, dayhiker. I'll fly into wherever is convenient for you folks.

It looks like our trip to Hawaii will take place from August 9 to the 23rd. That's when my buddy is free. My mother's birthday celebration will be November 20 to the 23rd. Any times other than those, I'm good to go.”

“Well, KU lost Drew Gooden, but Maryland lost all their starters except Blake. Looks like no repeat for Maryland.

How about Colorado? :) You guys better hope I don't show up in a bad mood!”

“We lost Rod Grizzard and there is talk about Erwin Dudley going pro...so it ain't so.”

“Welcome to the world of "let's all split for the draft". I am not sure Memphis will have enough players to suit up for a game next year.”

“I am not a fan of the NBA at all, but my friends who are say that all the young players are really changing the game, and not necessarily for the better.
Roy Williams doesn't get uptight about all of the early departures, so I am trying to stay calm about it, also.
Some teams, (like Memphis), were hit too hard, though.”

“Well, you spend a lot of time recruiting and three of the top three recruits over a two year period make the jump.......the logical solution is to quit recruiting such high caliber players,,,,,isn't that a f*ed up philosophy?”

“I might be a bit naive, but Roy Williams seems to recruit players who stay in school. He has had only two that have gone in their Junior year. I think that, because he is a genuine person of integrity that he attracts young men of the same caliber. At least I hope that is what is going on. I cling to the hope that there is somewhere that peoples' love for the sport overrides the greed factor.”

“obviously that "love for the sport" is not a recurring theme among Univ of Mem recruits

although, we did sign the best player in Indianapolis.....just heard parts of it yesterday and havent had time to even look at this guys stats.....didn't even know Calipari was recruiting him”

“Florida had the #3 rated recruiting class this year in case anyone missed my saying that before. We recruited Kwame Brown last year and almost got him to come to Florida but how could he pass up being the #1 NBA draft choice? Kids with mega-money; now there’s a dangerous combination.

Same thing in baseball. For years Florida recruited the best talent only to lose everyone to the pros. It is a crazy philosophy not to recruit the absolute best, but that's the nature of the sports world now. None of my money goes to attending pro sport events, I don’t buy any pro sport merchandise, and I try not to buy the products that advertise on televised pro sporting events. Ain’t the free market great? I can chose to vote for what I think is important by my purchases.

So, are we set on dates for this hike? Is it October 17-20th? I’d hate to lock in to a plane ticket just to have folks decide that they can’t make it. Hiking through one of the airports would not be a fun thing.”

“Looks like a go.”

“I try not to buy the products that advertise on televised pro sporting events.
arclite
06:05:32 AM
05/01/02

What's left to eat or drink if you exclude all the products advertisec on sporting events? Even "Got Milk" cashed in on the jocks.

We are a definate go for the hike. Book the flights.”

“Try, chili. Try does not equal absolute adherance.

I will try to be on my best behavior around vol fans.


I'll start booking.”

“Book 'em Danno.
Gene Stephenson of Wichita State has gone head to head in recruiting against Fla. I don't think he has ever won in that fight, but they usually have a highly ranked baseball team.
With the high attrition rate among college athletes, recruiting is becoming more and more crucial to the top programs. When I hear how much time the coaches spend flying from town to town, I wonder if I could keep up that pace.
KU basketball has landed two high school juniors from Oklahoma who sound like sure things. It is amusing to see how wrapped up in a sport you can get, when you know the middle names and religious preferences of a 16 year old kid from bumf--- nowhere.
Anyway, rock on, sports fans!”

“Bama is #3 in one of the baseball polls. Roll Tide!

Erwin Dudley wisely decided to come back for his senior year. We should be pretty good again this year. By 10/17 football will be in full swing and preseason basketball will be just around the corner.”

“Rocky Top, you will always be home sweet home to me.....


Oh, is it to early for that yet?”

“Hey,arclite, tries only count in rugby. Now THERE'S a man's game!”

“"There is no try..."

Yoda aka Father Goose.

Played tackle football on the weekends with some folks from the rugby team when I was in college. One guy had a T-shirt that read, "Rugby players eat their dead." Those guys were nuts! Nice, but nuts.

You can start singing anytime you like, chili. Hopefully you'll be hoarse by the time I have to listen to it.

The Shockers, Dunadan. Good team. I've watched a little bit of the College World Series and rooted for them before. Speaking of sports, last year, I bought every pre-season college football magazine I could find. They had all the team stats, the personal stats, the rosters, the schedules, the predictions...can you say obsessive? Trouble was, most of the predictions were wrong. Our paper runs an article every year called, "Where are they now?" It covers highly rated recruits through walk-ons. It's amazing how many highly rated recruits don't pan out for one reason or another. At Florida it's often for academic reasons. At Tennessee it's often for legal reasons. The recruiting experts don't have a stat for heart.”

“Nice one arc. In October we can double team chili. Wait a minute, UT beat both of our teams last year.”

“ This will probably just kill poor arclite.”

“Oh, BB Divine! Art thou gracing us with Thine Presence, again?

BTW......Ayn Rand Sucks!


:)”

“After much reflection, I feel that I must abdicate the throne. If not for my accountant, I wouldn’t have gotten a single pick right.”

“So, a god can just stop being a god? I don't remember reading that in my handbook.
What did you think of that quote from the Grizzlies top draft pick?
"I didn't know Elvis was from Memphis. I thought he was from Tennessee!"
-Drew Gooden, educated (?) at Kansas Universtity”

“I think arclite must have been hit on the head during his absence.

I can't imagine him claiming not to be a sports god. Maybe he is being possessed by Marvin.

Marvin, get thee behind me!!! Someone hand me some holy water.”

“I’m tellin’ you, honestly… I don’t know a thing about college basketball. My accountant fed me everything.”

“I’m a fraud… a total fake… get it?”

“And you're right about Ayn Rand Dunadan. She's a real #&%!$!”

“Did I tell you I've joined the Democratic Socialists of America?

It turns out everything I thought was right was wrong. Thanks for helping in my edumacation guys!”

“I think we are experiencing the "Violin Phnomenon" here. Someone is posting as Arc, and forgetting what an overbearing and total Gator he is.
I think you're right, Chili. Holy water and the Pope with a shotgun might do the trick.”

“Violin is a fine person and would never do a thing like that.”

“Hey, bygod, stealing arclite's identity is serious business, bub....

if you look at the real arclite's profile....

and then hit this bastard imposter's profile ,,,,you can see the difference.

I say it is mail and wire fraud...

call the Feds.”

“What are you talking about boy?”

“It takes a law man to hunt down the law breakers! Nice detective work, Chili.”

“Actually, Elvis is from Tupelo, MS. I've seen his house...both rooms.

When Spurrier left he evidently took the brashness of the whole Gator community with him. UA has gone through some of that too(chili might say that it didn't take enough of our brashness)

Good to hear from you arc. I hope your mother is doing better.”

“Howdy all! Dunadan I think you've got it. This is me. I believe I recognize the ol' string plucker's hand in a shameless sham.”

“Nah chili, that's old news. Dupay was kicked off the team last year. I guess neither he nor Pete Rose will make it into a sports hall of fame. As long as they're not throwing a game, I couldn't care less who they bet on. I'll just bet you're a fan of all the NCAA rules and regulations, counselor.”

“The only thing I know is football is just around the corner!”

“And.....beware the mighty Jayhawks!!!!”

“The jayhawks have a football team? How cum I never heard of them?”