Nothing Better Than Hot Dogs On The 4th

I'm a baseball fan, which means I'm a hot dog fan. I don't know what it is, but baseball and hot dogs go hand-in-hand. They just taste better at the ballpark. I think it has something to do with the smells of grass and dirt and pine tar and beer and peanuts that just enhance their flavor. I'm not talking about these jumbo monstrosities covered with chili and cheese and everything else under the sun, that you need a loan to pay for. I'm talking about the regular hot dog, with a little mustard, and maybe some relish. I can eat four or five of those things at-a-time. That's why I love watching the Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest at Coney Island every year on the Fourth of July.

I love everything that involves competition, especially something that I know I can't do, and I know I can't eat 10 hot dogs in 12 minutes, much less 50! It's awe inspiring to watch the master himself perform, 6-time defending champion Takeru Kobayashi. He weighs 150 pounds soaking wet, yet the way he makes those dogs disappear is otherworldly. He set the record of 53 3/4 hot dogs at last years event. This guy is the king of all things eating. He's the top ranked eater in the International Federation of Competitive Eating (IFOCE). Take a look at his accomplishments since last year's hot dog win:

Brats: 58 Johnsonville Brats / Brat Days / 10 Minutes/ Aug. 5, 2006
Cow Brains: 57 (17.7 pounds) / 15 minutes
Hamburgers: Krystals: 97 Krystal Burgers / 8 minutes/October 28, 2006
Lobster Rolls: 41 Lobster Rolls in Boston challenge / 10 minutes/Sept. 23, 2006
Rice Balls: 20 pounds rice balls / 30 minutes

Like Roger Maris' 61 homers, I thought the hot dog eating record was unbeatable. Then, along came Joey Chestnut, who last month, ate 59 1/2 hot dogs! That's five hot dogs and buns per minute! He is a force to be reckoned with, also holding world records in Asparagus (8.6 lbs/10 min.), Chicken Wings, Long form (182/30 min.), Grilled Cheese Sandwiches (47/10 min.), Gyoza(212 chicken and vegetable gyoza/10 min.), Horseshoe Sandwiches (6 lbs, 5 oz/12 min.), Pork Ribs (8.4 lbs/12 min.), Pork, Pulled (9 lbs, 6 oz/10 min.) and Waffles (18.5 Waffles (8 oz.)/10 min.).

Kobayashi is claiming he has arthritis of the jaw. He could be playing with Chestnut's head. We'll see tomorrow. I can't wait!

Hoss Is Headed To St. Louis

Our resident long drive studs, Matthew "Hoss" Vilade of Hide-a-way Lake and Cody Ellis of Bullard are headed to St. Louis for this weekend's Re/Max St. Louis Long Drive Classic at Gateway National Golf Links near downtown St. Louis. They are members of the Long Drivers of America Tour.

I talked to Vilade today as he was preparing to leave. Now fully recovered from the pneumonia that hampered his performance at the Texas Shootout, Hoss is raring and ready to show everybody what he is capable of. Remember, Vilade hit a monster 473 yard drive at an event earlier this year in Mesquite, Nevada. He is capable of doing some big things.

Hoss tees it up in Round 1 at 9am Sunday morning. Ellis takes his first shot at 10:30am. We'll keep an eye on their progress.

ETBU To Host Softball Camp July 23-25

I got this from ETBU today:

MARSHALL, Texas – East Texas Baptist University will host the 2007 Lady Tiger Softball Camp July 23-25 at Taylor Field.
The camp will be hosted by ETBU head coach Janae Schlabs and assistant coach Jennifer Bryant, along with assistant coach and National Fastpitch Coaches Association Hall of Famer Bill Galloway. The camp will run each day from 9 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. for all girls ages 10-18.
The camp will cover the basic skills and drills of hitting, pitching, infield play, outfield play, base running and game situations. All campers will need to bring their own glove, bat if it is available, and indoor and outdoor shoes.
Cost of the camp is $65 through July 19; cost will be $70 if received after July 19.
For more information or to pick up a registration form, contact Jennifer Bryant at (512) 618-1982 or Linda McClain at (903) 923-2228.

Another NASCAR Update

Grace Community high school grad C.J. Fambrough added another knotch to his growing NASCAR accomplishment belt. Each week Checkers restaurants gives a bonus to one Busch Series, one Craftsman Truck Series, and one Nextel Cup pit crew for the least amount of time on pit road during the race pit stops. This past weekend at Kentucky, C.J.'s #18 Busch Series crew won the Checkers/Rally's Double Drive-Thru Challenge. They had two 13 second pit stops and one 14 second pit stop. The team received $11,000 for the win. At the end of the 36-race schedule, the pit crew with the most wins gets $111,150!

A $30 car? If You Are A Pro Golfer

When a professional athlete like Shaquille O'Neal or Alex Rodriguez is fined for whatever reason, I've found myself saying, 'oh that's just pocket change for them.' As it turns out, I was right. Bankrate.com has a Celebrity Golf Calculator, which weighs the relative costs of popular items for pro golfers. I wish I could buy a car for thirty bucks!

Check out these examples:

$2,000 Laptop: For Phil Mickelson, a top-of-the-line laptop would seem to cost him just $1.36, considering his estimated $44 million dollar earnings in 2006.

$275,000 House: This estimated home price for the "swashbuckling" Sergio Garcia's nearly $16 million take-home pay, would seem to "cost" just $519.43.

$20,000 Car: The relative "cost" of a car for 17-year-old new driver Michelle Wie is a meager $29.65, who raked in an estimated $20 million last year.

$100 Hotel room: A $100 hotel room for Golfer John Daly would calculate to just 35 cents when you compare his $8 million earnings to the salary of the average Joe.

Junior Is So Wrong Yet So Right For Hendrick Motorsports

I couldn't help but get chills thinking of the possiblities next year's Nextel Cup season will bring with Dale Earnhardt Jr. driving for Hendrick Motorsports. Long considered one of the top drivers on the circuit, Junior will now have the resources to prove it. It's scary to think what he could do with the toys Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson have been playing with.

Yet, there lies the paradox...

Let me take you back to my first experience at a NASCAR race. It was the Winston 500 in 1999 at Talladega Superspeedway. I was a novice to the sport, knowing just enough to know who the drivers were, but little about fan support. Jeff Gordon was riding a two-race winning streak, and dominating that day. He would lead more laps than any driver that day. I was on pit row, so I couldn't see the whole track, but at one point, I noticed nearly all of the 200,000 fans stand up and starting cheering. I could actually hear the cheering over the noise of the cars and with head phones on! I naively thought they were excited for Gordon. But what they were all cheering about was Dale Earnhardt had just passed Gordon and would go on to win the race.

A year later, I was in the pits at Texas Motor Speedway when the crowd did nearly the exact same thing. They all stood up in unison and went crazy. This time it was for Dale Earnhardt Jr., who took the lead and would go on to win his first Nextel Cup (Winston Cup then) race.

Jeff Gordon is the anti-Earnhardt. They are opposites. Their fans don't like each other or their racers. So to have them team up is like Al Gore joining forces with George Bush. It's like Lucy allowing Charlie Brown to actually kick the ball. It's crazy!

I don't know how many races Junior will win at Hendrick Motorsports. I don't know how many Gordon and Johnson will let him win. Do you really think Gordon will bump draft Junior to a victory? Heck no! He's going to hang him to dry and go for the win. I would expect nothing less. That's why this is going to be so much fun.

Better Odds Phillips Is Fired Than Wins Super Bowl

I don't advocate betting on sports, but I thought this was kind of interesting. An online betting company has released odds on the Cowboys and Texans winning the Super Bowl, in relation to the odds of other random events happening. Enjoy for entertainment purposed only:

Analysts at BetUS.com answered the question of what’s more likely, the Dallas Cowboys or Houston Texans winning the Super Bowl or…. With the following odds.

Dallas Cowboys (NFC):
Win Super Bowl - 18/1
Romo is the League MVP - 25/1
Parcells comes back to the Cowboy organization - 40/1
Win a playoff game because of a botched snap by the other team - 20/1
T.O. gets traded - 2/1
T.O. drops more passes than last year - 50/1
You forget the Alamo - 1,000,000/1
Dallas becomes the live music capitol of the world opposed to Austin - 1,000/1
United States 24 hour rainfall record of 43 inches, will be shattered - 50/1
A revamped version of the popular television show “Dallas” airs - 150/1
Wade Phillips will be fired as Cowboys head coach - 15/1
You get a speeding ticket - 3/1
You win the lottery - 1,000,000/1
You walk under a ladder - 5/1
You order a pizza this year - 1/1,000
You run out of hot water mid shower - 100/1
Lose your cell phone - 50/1
You see pigs fly - 1,000,000,000/1
Hell freezes over - 1,000,000,000,000/1
You throw out your back - 1,000/1
You get a flat tire - 2/1
A bird will poop on you - 50/1
You will find money - 25/1
You will slip on banana peel - 150/1

Houston Texans (AFC):
Win Super Bowl - 90/1
Have to rename Reliant Stadium because of Corp Fraud - 100/1
Snows during a game - 310/1
Texans have a above .500 season - 4/1
Defeat the Colts twice - 10/1
Texans Re-sign David Carr - 50/1
Trade Mario Williams for Reggie Bush. - 500/1
Houston has post-season hat trick (Astros, Rockets and Texans win it all ) - 10,000/1
Officially loses the “Fattest City in America” title - 10/1
Adds a second star to the Texas Flag - 10,000,000/1
The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is picketed by animal activists - 1/100
Gary Kubiak is fired as Texans head coach - 5/1
You get a speeding ticket - 3/1
You win the lottery - 1,000,000/1
You walk under a ladder - 5/1
You order a pizza this year - 1/1,000
You run out of hot water mid shower - 100/1
Lose your cell phone - 50/1
You see pigs fly - 1,000,000,000/1
Hell freezes over - 1,000,000,000,000/1
You throw out your back - 1,000/1
You get a flat tire - 2/1
A bird will poop on you - 50/1
You will find money - 25/1
You will slip on banana peel - 150/1

Additional sports and entertainment odds can be found at:
www.BetUS.com

Upcoming Rangers Promotions

If you are looking for excuses to go to a Rangers game, other than just to watch baseball, the team sent me a few of their upcoming promotions:



vs. Milwaukee - June 8th - 7:35pm
FSN Southwest Cap Night - First 20,000 fans

vs. Milwaukee - June 9th - 7:35pm
POWERade Equipment Bag - First 7,000 fans 13 & Under






vs. Houston - June 22nd - 7:35pm
Texas Legend Themed Fireworks Show - All Fans

Patriot Golfers Pick Up Honors

This is from a UT Tyler sports information department release today:

The University of Texas at Tyler men’s golf team picked up another major honor, as Dean Rodgers and Coy Beck were both named to the prestigious Division III PING All-Region team, as announced by the Golf Coaches Association of America. The two Patriots on the West All-Region team equaled the total number of American Southwest Conference players from other schools combined.

Greatest Wide Receiver Class In NFL Draft History?

There is wide spread agreement that the 1983 NFL draft produced the greatest group of quarterbacks in the history of the sport. John Elway, Jim Kelly and Dan Marino. Three hall-of-famers... enough said.

But, when it comes to the greatest wide receiver class, there is room for debate. Some would say it's the Class of 1985. After all, that class is led by the greatest of all time, Jerry Rice, who was the third receiver taken that year (Al Toon & Eddie Brown) drafted, 16th overall, one pick ahead of the Cowboys (who took DE Kevin Brooks). Andre Reed, 5th all-time in receptions, 8th in yards, and 10th in TD's, was drafted by the Bills in the 4th round. Al Toon led the league in receptions in 1988. Eddie Brown of the Bengals was also a pro-bowler. If you count tight ends as receivers, two of the best in the game, Jay Novacek and Mark Bavaro were also Class of '85. Fellow tight end Ethan Horton was also a pro-bowler.

Others will claim the Class of 1988 is the best. Tim Brown was the top wide receiver taken that year (#6). Brown is 3rd overall in receptions, 2nd in yards, and 6th in TD's. Sterling Sharp was #7 that year, and was neck-in-neck with Rice for the top receiver of the era when his career was cut short in his prime in 1994 with a neck injury. The Cowboys used the 11th pick that year on Michael Irvin. The hall-of-famer retired with three Super Bowl rings. The Class of '88 also included pro-bowl wide receivers Anthony Miller and Brian Blades, and pro-bowl tight ends Keith Jackson and Ferrell Edmunds. Flipper Anderson and Michael Haynes were also drafted in '88. That is an impressive class.

But I say, when all is said and done, the Class of 1996 could blow both of those classes COMBINED out of the water. Keyshawn Johnson was the top pick that year. He retires this year 15th in receptions and 23rd in yards. Pro Bowlers, Terry Glenn (#7), Eric Moulds (#24), Muhsin Muhammad (#43), Joe Horn (#135) and Jermaine Lewis (#153) are all in this class, as well as Amani Toomer, Ricky Dudley and Jay Riemersma. But, the crown jewels of this class are the 19th pick and the 89th pick. Marvin Harrison was the third receiver taken that year, yet he could potentially end his career number one all-time. The 8-time pro-bowler is already 4th in receptions, 6th in yards and 3rd in TD's. His 143 receptions in 2002 is most of all-time. Oh, and that 89th pick? The 12th receiver taken that year is none other than Terrell Owens. T.O. is 17th in receptions, 16th in yards and 4th in TD's. He has 5 pro-bowl appearances and could fight Harrison for the all-time TD receptions title.

As great of a wide receiver draft as it is, 1996 will forever leave a bad taste in my mouth. As a St. Louis native, I sat an watched the Rams, with the 18th pick that year, take a "sure thing" out of LSU named Eddie Kennison. With the 19th pick, the Indianapolis Colts had to settle for Marvin Harrison...

Help For A Heavy Hitter

East Texas Long Drive professional Mathew Vilade is quickly making a name for himself in the long drive world. His 473 yard drive in Mesquite, Nevada is the longest drive ever hit there, and that's where the World Championship is held. He is participating in a charity event and wanted me to pass this along:

I am participating in a special golf tournament to raise money for Children's Miracle Network. I am emailing you to ask you to consider pledging. Please help me meet my pledge goals and help this organization raise the money they need to continue their work. Your contribution will help make this event a huge success and get me one step closer to meeting my pledge goals.

To visit my personalized pledge page or to learn more about this event, please visit: https://integritygolfsolutions.com/pledge.asp?mode=part&gid=71099
Thanks for your support!Mathew Vilade
Long Drive Professional

East Texan Boosting His NASCAR Status Again

Grace Community High School grad C.J. Fambrough keeps popping up all over the NASCAR world. He is currently the rear-tire changer for the Joe Gibbs Racing's #18 car in the Busch Series. He has been practicing with the Joe Gibbs Racing Nextel Cup crew members for a possible jump to one of their Nextel Cup cars as well. Anyway, one of Joe Gibbs Racing's up-and-coming drivers, 16-year-old Joey Logano, races in the NASCAR Grand National Division, because their age limit is 16. The Busch Series age limit is 18. C.J. worked on Joey's crew last year in the USAR Hooters Cup series. Because NASCAR was holding it's All-Star race this past week, they weren't racing over the weekend. So Kevin Harvick, who would win the Nextel Cup All-Star race, agreed to race in the NASCAR Grand National race at Iowa Speedway over the weekend. When Joe Gibbs found out Harvick was bringing his Busch Series pit crew with him to Iowa, he sent a Busch Series pit crew of his own to pit for Joey. Well guess what, Fambrough and the #18 crew went to Iowa and helped Joey knock off Harvick! There's a great story on the race at Iowa Speedway's website.

This picture is courtesy of iowaspeedway.com and features Harvick congratulating Logano. That's Fambrough standing next to Logano with his hand out, waiting his turn for a congratulation.

Rude Drivers And NASCAR: Hand-In-Hand

AutoVantage's "In the Driver's Seat Road Rage Survey" surveyed residents in the 25 biggest cities in the country and ranked them in order from those reporting the most incidents of road rage to the fewest. The top 10 cities, coincidentally or not, have a NASCAR track within 100 miles of them.
City Track
1. Miami - Homestead-Miami Speedway
2. New York - Pocono Raceway
3. Boston - New Hampshire International Speedway
4. Los Angeles - California Speedway
5. Washington D.C. - Dover International Speedway & Richmond International Speedway
6. Phoenix - Phoenix International Speedway
7. Chicago - Chicagoland Speedway
8. Sacramento - Infineon Raceway
9. Philadelphia - Dovor International Speedway & Pocono Raceway
10.San Francisco - Infineon Raceway

18 of the 25 have a track within 100 miles. Tampa Bay and Pittsburgh have a track within 170 miles. Houston and Minneapolis-St. Paul are the only two in the top 15 without a track, although Houston has a Champ Car Race.

There are several ways you can look at this. First of all, they are among the largest concentrations of people, so of course they are going to have the most incidents of road rage. However, Miami (16), Phoenix (13) and Sacramento(20) are top 10 road rage but not top 10 population. Yet, all three of those towns have a raceway close by.

Food for thought...

East Texas NASCAR Promotion?

I saw this little news article today and immediately thought about the implications.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - Joe Gibbs Racing officials are considering changes in personnel after Denny Hamlin complained that pit problems cost him the Dodge Avenger 500 at Darlington yesterday. Hamlin finished second to Jeff Gordon after a pair of dropped lug nuts during a late race pit stop cost him valuable time.

Apparently, this is the third time that a pitstop screw-up has cost Hamlin a win and he isn't happy. For him to call out his crew is huge and making a change may be the only way to smooth things over. It doesn't say if the problem has been with the same person or not, but dropped lug nuts is a tire changer problem. Front or rear? I don't know. What I do know is Grace Community graduate C.J. Fambrough is a rising star in the Joe Gibbs Racing organization. The rear tire changer is currently working on the #18 car in the Busch Series. Fambrough has been practicing the past few months with the Nextel Cup guys. It would be very simple to keep him at the track for another day to work the Nextel Cup race as well. We'll see what comes of this...

Loss Of A Wildcat

He was an exceptional kid...
That's about all Whitehouse high school athletic director and football coach Randy McFarlin could say at one time without choking up. Only a few hours earlier he had learned that Alexander Fleming, a defensive back on his football team, had been killed in a car accident.

This is the type of thing that isn't in the job description, when you have to face dozens of stunned young men asking why? Why, a kid in the prime of his life, who did the right things, who was wearing his seatbelt, who was driving home after studying with friends, not partying, could be taken away like that? It's not in the job description because it's an unanswerable question. It's a situation that no one deserves, or should ever have to deal with. Even so, Coach McFarlin spent the day consoling his players and wearing a brave face. He answered all the questions he could, he talked to the media and he carried on the best he could.

McFarlin told me Fleming was having a great spring and was a projected starter at cornerback. He said the junior was also a band member who made good grades and had lots of friends. His death would affect nearly every member of the Whitehouse family.

Coach told me when things were at their worst this morning, when he thought he wouldn't be able to last through the day, one of his players walked in with a bible under his arm. At a time when so many kids were counting on the coach for support, that one player helped give the coach hope. Whether we like it or not, coach said, life goes on. And, while he now tries to fill the hole in his defensive backfield, he's also trying to fill the hole in his heart.

Great Way To Learn About Disc Golf!

I done several stories over the past few years on disc golf. It is an extremely fun sport that is low in cost and high in excercise. You really only need one good frisbee and some tennis shoes! The city of Tyler is set to host a free disc golf clinic this Saturday out at Lindsey Park. It is a great way to learn the sport and get some excercise. Here is the city's press release:

Come join the Tyler Parks and Recreation Department for fun in the great outdoors with a free Disc Golf Clinic, from 10:00 a.m. to noon on Saturday, May 12, at Lindsey Park, 1255 Spur 364. This instructional clinic is presented by the Tyler Parks and Recreation Department as part of their “At Your Leisure Series.”
Instructor Lawrence Nance will teach participants rules and etiquette, putting, driving, mid-range, and disc selection. Registration forms for this free clinic can be found at www.cityoftyler.org under the Parks and Recreation Department.
For more information about this program call Debbie Isham, Special Events/Recreation Supervisor at 903-531-1214.

NBA Title In The Bag For Mavericks?

With every win the Mavericks rack up this season, their odds of winning the NBA Championship increase. They beat Minnesota tonight 105-88 to become the 12th team in NBA history to win 65. 10 of the previous 11 teams went on to win the NBA title (The 1972-1973 Boston Celtics were the only team not to do so). With four games left, the Mavericks could conceivably become the fourth team to win 69 games. The three others all won titles.

31-0 And Counting

Jarvis Christian College is UT Tyler's latest victim. The Patriots won 19-2 tonight to extend their perfect record to 31-0. And, with just seven games left, the Patriots are looking like they might just be able to pull this off. Here's how the remaining schedule breaks down:

Friday, April 13th - LeTourneau @ Tyler, 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, April 14th - LeTourneau @ Tyler (DH), 1:00 p.m.

LeTourneau is always a threat because of the emotion involved in being an East Texas rival, but the Yellowjackets are just 9-20, 3-9 in conference action. They've won just 3 of the last 13.

Tuesday, April 17th - Southwestern Assembles @ Tyler, 6:00 p.m.

The Patriots beat the Lions 14-3 on February 20th.

Friday, April 20th - @ Louisiana College, 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, April 21st - @ Louisiana College (DH), 1:00 p.m.

This is the series that has the best chance to put an end to the streak. The Wildcats are 20-12 (7-5) and have won six of their last eight games.

Realistically, any of these teams could beat the Patriots on any given day. An error or two can lead to an extra run or two which can lead to a win. Having said that, there aren't any ranked teams left, and facing the prospect of no postseason baseball, you know the Patriots will be focused and gunning for that perfect mark.

Patriots Baseball Like the Energizer Bunny

Just like the Engergizer Bunny, the UT Tyler baseball team just keeps winning, and winning...

The Patriots swept a weekend series against UT Dallas, to extend their unbeaten streak to 30-0. For their efforts, the Patriots have swept the conference honors this week. Ryan Campbell was named the American Southwest Conference East Division Pitcher of the Week, and Andrew Damewood received the ASC East’s Hitter of the Week honor. Campbell (JR/Tomball, TX) started the series against nationally ranked UT Dallas with another tone-setting performance, pitching a complete-game shutout. Campbell threw nine scoreless innings, scattering seven hits and striking out four. The Comets, who entered the day with a total .373 batting average, were shut out for the first time on the season. Damewood (JR/Plano, TX) batted .600 with eight RBI for the week, going 9-for-15. Damewood also had a triple and scored three runs. He also drew three walks. This is the first ASC Player of the Week honor for both players. Already this season, UT Tyler has had Brett Amyx named Hitter of the Week, and Nate Jennings and Blake Booher both receive Pitcher of the week honors.

It crazy looking at the conference standings, seeing Texas Lutheran 25-5-1 (12-2) ranked #12 and UT Dallas 23-9 (11-4) ranked at #29, yet the Patriots at 30-0 (12-0) are not ranked. Texas Lutheran's two conference losses and three of UT Dallas' conference losses have come at the hands, and bats, of the Patriots. According to the NCAA, the Patriots have to be on probation for 4 years to be considered full time members. As a result, they can't be nationally ranked, and they can't participate in postseason play. That's a shame. Quite possibly the best NCAA Divison III baseball team of the decade is being left out in the cold. It's gotten so bad, D3Baseball, which ranks the teams, has included a special note at the bottom of the rankings explaining why UT Tyler isn't listed.

The Patriots return home against Jarvis Christian on Tuesday night at six.

Big Baby!

Congratulations to James and Jennifer Vilade! The UT Tyler baseball coach and his wife are the proud new parents of a baby boy born Monday afternoon. Trent Joseph Vilade weighed 9 lbs. 9.1 oz and is 22 inches long! He no doubt, will have a bat and glove in his hand by the time he gets home from the hospital.