Friday, January 29, 2010

Have you missed me?

It has been a while since I gave you, my loyal readers (all 4 of you), with a blog of my ramblings. Sorry about that, just got caught up in the Holiday excitement among other things and time has gotten away from me. After having a while to see several basketball teams around the local gyms, I figured it is time to give you some bully tidbits.

It has been a roller coaster ride of a season for several local b-ball programs but one thing is for certain, if you listed the top 3 or 4 girls teams in the state, 3 of them are right here in Madison County. Hoover may be the best girls team but Bob Jones, Sparkman and Madison Academy are right there. Yes, MA! These girls are as good as any team in the state and have proved that assumption with wins over several quality 6A programs such as Sparkman and Buckhorn. Their only loses are to Bob Jones (twice) and once to Sparkman, all by very few points. Bob Jones girls have only lost to Hoover at home, and that game was close. Revenge game against Hoover coming up this Saturday night gives the BJ girls a chance to stake a claim as being the team to beat to win the blue map in 6A. Speaking of MA, usually the difference between a good 6A and 3A team is the quality of depth off the bench. In MA’s case, they’re as deep as anyone. Add good players to a class act for a head coach how can you not root for them? Great job Coach Privett!

Butler has the best boys team in the surrounding area with Lee close behind. The rest are all lumped together when you talk 5A/6A, with Grissom/Huntsville a notch below. Sparkman has a good team but seems to be under achieving a little based on talent level. Bob Jones can’t catch a break. Without Reggie and Jose, they are decent but can’t control the inside. Butler or Lee can win the 5A state championship, don’t see anyone else from this area getting out of region with exception of MA in 3A. The worst thing about 5A playoffs for boys is that perhaps 3 of the top 5 teams in the state will meet in regions with only one advancing. Butler, Lee and Muscle Shoals may all be good enough to win it all but only 1 will get to the final 4. In 3A, MA boys may be able to get to Birmingham depending on how week 3A region in Hanceville may be.

I have seen a lot of head and assistant coaches at various gyms so far this year. The head couches from Bama, Auburn, Georgia, Vandy, and Florida State have been to Bob Jones games to see Bob Jones Junior, Levi Randolph. I have heard Lacey and Langford at Butler and Lee have also drawn a ton of interest from marquee head coaches.

You didn’t ask but I will give you the Bully’s All Star Boys Basketball Team. Give me JoJo Walls (Dora), Ralston Turner (Muscle Shoals), Jay Wadkins (Austin), Trevor Lacey (Butler), Josh Langford (Lee), Dallas Jones (Buckhorn) and Levi Randolph (Bob Jones) as my 7 top notch b-ball players that I have personally seen this year. Coach of the year would have to go to Dora’s Heath Burns. Obviously Doss at Butler is doing another fine job but Burn’s doesn’t have the talent level to justify his team’s record and they have played a tough schedule. Petty at Bob Jones may have done one of his better jobs of coaching this year but record won’t show it since they were hit with season ending injuries on 2 stud starters before the season ever got started.

Football: Heard Coach Saban was visiting Bob Jones this week in regard to three of their Junior/Sophomore players. Congrats to Jordan Matthews (MA) for committing to Vandy. Good pick up for the Dores. Hearing Rivers at Athens is really being courted by several D-1 schools.

Football coaching updates: Hazel Green has named the defensive coordinator at Buckhorn as their new head coach. I haven’t heard anything from the Scottsboro opening. Since my last blog, New Hope has made a change and now has an opening for head job. This will be an interesting hire but my opinion, from afar, is they need to start from scratch to rebuild that program and get the “Pop Warner” and middle school teams on board to build a successful high school football program. Hearing rumors the Brooks job may come open soon. That would be a nice head job for someone. More to come…..

How about little tidbits on some places to eat and stay that Ms Daisy and I have ran across the last month or so?

Wentzell’s Oyster House has opened in Huntsville. Now I am not an oyster eater but I do like other shell fish. Ms Daisy does like oysters so we decided to try it. Food was okay, not bad but not exceptional either. They had not been opened very long so service was a little uncoordinated. Prices were a little on the high side for what you get. Bottom line, a platter of oysters and a littler crab dish with a cup of soup and tea was well into the $50 range which I thought was a little too much. Will go again down the road but certainly don’t recommend as a must eat destination.

If you looking for a quick getaway and don’t have time to go to Gatlinburg, head to the Opryland hotel in Nashville. Especially this time of year where you can enjoy the climate controlled atriums without worrying about how cold it actually is outside. If you go, pay the extra to get a balcony overlooking one of the atriums. We got one overlooking the Delta Atrium and I enjoyed just sitting on the balcony hollering, nodding, or heckling those that were walking the atrium paths. You can also get in a bunch of walking just exploring this huge resort.

We dined one evening at the Old Hickory Steakhouse at the Opryland hotel. Highly recommend and reservations are preferred. Wonderful steaks and you can’t beat the setting when you dine. You feel like your outside even though it is climate controlled. If you go, try the lobster bisque as it is the best I have ever tasted and I'm a bisque eating professional. Also, if you sit a certain area, you can watch the fountain show that occurs every hour or so in the Delta Atrium. Beware though; the food is very good but expensive. Ruth Chris and above category of price range!

Finally, about the jewel of a restaurant we found in downtown Franklin. Spent an afternoon hitting some of the many antique stores in the downtown Franklin area and Ms Daisy suggested we try a place not far from downtown called Dotson’s. Meat and 3 and absolutely wonderful! Afterwards we split a piece of their famous chocolate pie and I will tell you it is the best I have ever eaten anywhere. Make a puppy pull a freight train it was so good. We had fried chicken on the bone along with vegetables. I have to admit we were so impressed with our lunch that we went back again the next day on the way back home. This time I had roast beef while Ms Daisy had some more of the chicken. I also couldn’t share the pie this time and made Ms Daisy get her own. She didn’t mind as she liked it as well plus I knew she wouldn’t eat the whole slice and I would get more than just a slice. FYI, a good strategy to use when you want more.

Soap Box Time – Ol’ Bully has observed some things over the last while that have bothered me to a point of becoming a bee in my bonnet. Below are Bully Etiquette tips to help you become a better person. Just saying……

1) If the elevator door is closing don’t stick your hand in it to open it back up. The folks that are on board got there on time to ride, you didn’t. You ain’t important enough to make others wait, Take the next one!
2) If you are boarding an elevator, wait till the folks get off before you board. Just the right thing to do!
3) While we are talking elevators, guys let women board or exit first.
4) Moving on, we don’t need to hear your cell phone ring in meetings. If you expecting an important call that you are afraid you’ll miss, put it on vibrate and sit on it. You’ll feel it!
5) Whoever told you that you should go ahead and start your conversation on your ringing cell phone while still in the meeting or the movie lied to you! Believe it or not, some folks in the meeting want to hear the person conducting the meeting.
6) If you talking to someone in person, they’re more important than your ringing cell phone. Enough said!
7) Yes, you look silly with that piece attached to your ear so you can walk around and talk on the phone. What are you trying to prove or who you trying to impress?
8) If it is snowy, sleeting, hailing, rainy, fogging, cloudy, or dark, turn your lights on. That is what the good folks in Detroit (Japan/Germany) put lights on your vehicle for.
9) If you’re at a light and there is a long line behind you, stay tight to the vehicle in front of you so as many as possible can get thru the green light or arrow. If you allow more than a 30 foot gap to the vehicle in front you, you’re being rude.
10) Also, you are not too important to make a new pot if you take the last cup of coffee.

Now for men, below are rules for conduct in the men’s restroom:

1) Under no circumstance are you to talk on your phone in the men’s room. Just don’t do it! We need a place to get away and you ain’t that important enough to violate this man rule.
2) If you walk into the men’s room and there is more than 1 urinal, you always take the one furthest away from the nearest occupant. You don’t stand next to someone if you don’t have to. This should be drilled into you when you are born.
3) You don’t shake hands in the men’s room. Yes, even if you just washed. We might not understand why your hands are wet.
4) You don’t carry on conversations with your buddy at the urinal. You can nod, say hey but that is it. Just weird to have detailed conversations!

I am sure there are more to list but these are the ones in my crawl at present. If you got some that need to be listed, email me. Until next time here is a thought for you married men; “What a pity it is that nobody knows how to manage a wife, but a bachelor” (George Coleman). Don’t know why but thought it was true and funny.