Why not earmark some Iron Bowl proceeds for education?

By Joe McAdory

Got an Iron Bowl idea for Auburn and Alabama. Single ticket prices this year are $60. Sounds outrageous. But consider the ticket price to most NASCAR races are more than than and $60 for this game’s a pretty good deal. Fans don’t mind forking over $60. Heck, many will pay $150 to $200 per ticket via the Internet and scalpers.

In the future, why not add $10 to the face value—but earmark the extra $10 to the state’s education fund? Let’s see, the game’s in Tuscaloosa next year. That’s, what, about 92,000 seats? Multiply that by $10 and we get $920,000 extra money for education in this state. That may be a drop in the bucket, but I guarantee there are worthy school projects in Alabama desperately in need of such funds.

We value education, or at least we say we do. Why not use the state’s marquee sporting event, performed by the state’s largest educational institutions, to raise money for this cause?

Just an idea.

As for Saturday’s game. It’s hard to predict a winner. You’d think Alabama would be down and out after last week’s woeful defeat to La-Monroe. Weather folks say it’s going to be cold and might rain. Who does this help? People selling ponchos and jackets I guess.

Though I have no true confidence in any Iron Bowl prediction, my pick is Auburn 21, Alabama 15. A six-point spread. Auburn wins its sixth in a row over Alabama. The Tide drops to 6-6.

I prefer fixins to turkey

By Joe McAdory

What’s the big deal about turkey on Thanksgiving? I like turkey as much as everyone else, but I can think of many things on the dinner table much better than this bird. Heck, I have turkey sandwiches every other day. If I didn’t like them, I wouldn’t eat them.

But I love the sweet potatoes, stuffing, mashed potatoes, assorted casseroles, macaroni and cheese, the pies and the cakes. Dr. Atkins would have a fit. Welcome to sugarland. Carbohydrate heaven. Oh yes, I must wash it down with sweet tea.

I’ll have a turkey sandwich again on Friday.

Sims’ Thanksgiving thoughts by the numbers

By Joe McAdory

Our friend Kelvin Sims, a Beauregard native who later became a sports writer in Montgomery and now works in Atlanta, enjoys keeping up with the events in and around the Opelika-Auburn area. Obviously, he has close ties. Kelvin took time to share what he’s thankful for and I’m happy to give him the forum. I’ll come up with my own Thanksgiving list on Thursday I suppose.

How am I thankful this year? In the tried but true tradition of a giving thanks column, I shall be thankful with the numbers that define my memories this year.

22 – As in today, Nov. 22. Before the rush of Christmas shopping begins, I am happy that I am able to sit down this year with my family and give thanks for my bountiful blessings. For the understated things I have taken for granted – health and strength, a warm bed, etc. My wife, I certainly don’t take for granted (hey, no comments in the background, honey!). I’m thankful for her. For surviving three bucks-and-change gas. For not getting caught up in the mortgage crisis that afflicts the nation. For brave soldiers who fight as the rest of us go mostly unscathed in the midst of a regrettable war.

40, 51 and 100-plus – That, respectively is my age, my sister Ethelene’s when she passed this year and Mrs. Charlie Mae Williams’ when she passed recently. I’m quite thankful for all.
My sister, I have already praised in these pages this year. But Thanksgiving brings back memories of her and things never being the same. We annually gathered every year at her house, and she slaved and cooked for what seems like hundreds, never turning down a soul. And to Mrs. Williams. Alzheimer’s robbed us way too soon of the wonderful spirit for those who knew her in the Marvyn community. I remember many an encouraging words from her. When I went away to the University of Alabama, it was her encouraging words for a young black man to go and grab the advantages of education—that were denied to many of her Jim Crow generation—that steeled me. Along with the voice of my mother, my sister, it was voices like Mrs. Williams that woke me and prodded me to go to those 8 a.m. classes and make something of myself. God bless, Mrs. Williams.

5 – As in the number of years Alabama has lost to Auburn. I’m making no boasts or Joe Willie-like guarantees that this will be the year the Tide rises again in the series, especially after they looked so pitiful while losing to Louisiana-Monroe last weekend. But here’s hoping that I have some to be thankful for and that Nick “Yes, I’m Overpaid” Saban can make it happen. (And no, Auburn fans, who are quite the majority in this area, I’m not going to throw you a bone. You can’t win every year. Be thankful for the Shula years. You have been blessed already!)

12 – As in the number of years I grew and flourished in the local education system. Yes, I’ve said this before. But to a paraphrase a bumper sticker or two that I’ve seen, if you can read this, thank a teacher. To the Brantleys, the Luckys, the Watkins, the Johnsons and the Browns of the Beauregard teaching community (and even Mrs. Eula Kendrick, my Sunday school teacher)—thanks for giving me a leg up. As I get older, I peruse the obits and see that some of them are passing away. But their epitaphs remain, printed in bold letters: I touched a life! Thanks.

7 a.m.—That’s how early I would get up on Thanksgiving morning when I was growing up in Opelika and still do if I can when I come home. No school to go to, no college class nor even my job these days. But I got like clockwork because Thanksgiving television meant the parades, cartoon classics or kids shows (H.R. Puf N Stuf, Captain Kangaroo, etc.). It was all about marketing, I know now, to get you prepped for the Christmas buying season. But it was so much fun as prelude to a huge meal, watching the Dallas Cowboys play and then playing touch (really tackle) football with my friends Kenny, Sterling and Marcus the rest of the afternoon. No mortgages to pay, no deadlines to meet. Simplicity. Quite like this holiday. I know it can be complicated, with family issues, dynamics, etc. But if allowed, say thanks in your own way for blessings both simple and not so simple. And for those evident and not so evident.

Comparing the Georgia Dome to Jordan-Hare

By Joe McAdory

Went to the Falcons-Bucs game Sunday at the Georgia Dome. Can’t say I saw a good brand of football, but going to an NFL game is a change of pace from watching one from the ol’ pink recliner. Below is a comparison of NFL games at the Georgia Dome to college games at Jordan-Hare Stadium:

Tickets to Falcons games, at least the ones I had, carry a face value of $28. I paid $30 for 2. Pretty cheap, but I’m sure I would have paid much more if the Falcons were any good and they were also playing a marquee team. Tickets to Auburn games carry faces values of anything from $30 to $60, depending on the opponent. Tickets to some games, Alabama, Georgia, LSU, etc., go for much more on the streets and in the Internet.

Concession prices at the Dome and Jordan-Hare are very comparable. Both are ridiculous, but that’s standard procedure at most sporting events anyway. I will say the Dome has a far better selection than Jordan-Hare.

Alcohol is prevalent at both venues. At the Dome, it must be purchased in the form of beer or mixed drinks. At Jordan-Hare, it is smuggled into the stadium.

The atmosphere of a college game destroys the Dome atmosphere. It seemed like there were far too many TV timeouts at the Falcons game. Sure, college games have TV timeouts, but I don’t think there are quite as many. Besides, in the down time, the college atmosphere seems more festive. Maybe I like marching band music or something. The Falcons don’t have a band and I don’t think I can handle “Let’s get it started” blaring over the speakers all day. There’s something about the Dome than feels antiseptic. I guess that’s better than septic, but I didn’t sense much electricity.

Parking at the Dome is easy. You don’t park there. Park at MARTA and ride the train. Let someone else do the work and don’t get stuck in traffic. At Auburn, finding a spot can be difficult and post-game traffic can be a mess too if you don’t get out of the stadium early enough.

The Dome has chairback seats. Major points there. Each fan has his or her seat. At Auburn, there are aluminum bleachers with numbers that are supposed to represent where a ticket-holder’s butt is supposed to be. Auburn needs to serve its fans and put real seats in there.

The Dome is a very clean venue. Everything seems nice. Being an enclosed arena helps, whereas Jordan-Hare is exposed to the elements.

To sum, I prefer college football to NFL football. I believe the Dome is a nicer facility than most college stadiums, mostly because it’s newer than most and indoors. I prefer games at Jordan-Hare because I find them more exciting and it has a better atmosphere. What I’d really like are the Dome’s individual seats inside Jordan-Hare, the best of both worlds.

All-time presidential election looms

By Joe McAdory

We asked readers, via the Internet, who they believed was the best U.S. president of all time. Ronald Reagan was the winner over a field that included Bill Clinton, George Washington, Abe Lincoln and FDR, among others.

That got me to thinking, what if we conducted an all-time presidential election? Who would be the Republican nominee? Who would be the Democratic nominee? And what in world would we do with the Whig presidents? But we’re gonna do it.

In the future, we will ask readers to vote until we’ve whittled the field two a Republican and a Democrat. In the primary stage, perhaps we’ll see if we can get a few endorsements. Who would Alabama Republican Party Chairman Mike Hubbard endorse in the all-time race? Would it be Reagan, George W. Bush, or possibly a Republican from a different era. What about Alabama Democratic Party Chairman Joe Turnham? Would he give the endorsement to Clinton, JFK, Lincoln, or maybe Thomas Jefferson?

After the primaries are completed, the field will be narrowed to two. President vs. president. Mano vs. mano. First Lady vs. First Lady. Achievements vs. achievements. The all-time Republican vs. the all-time Democrat.

The candidates probably won’t debate, but if one is arranged I’ll let you know. Let the campaign begin!